Topic: Microbial Functions and Metabolites in IBD: From Mechanisms to Therapeutics

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract driven by complex interactions among host genetics, immune responses, environmental factors, and the gut microbiome. Beyond compositional shifts, increasing evidence highlights that microbial functional alterations and metabolite profiles are key determinants of disease onset and progression.

Microbial metabolites such as bile acids, short-chain fatty acids, and tryptophan-derived compounds critically regulate epithelial barrier integrity and mucosal immune responses, positioning them as central mediators of gut inflammation. This Special Issue focuses on the mechanistic roles of microbial functions and metabolites in IBD, with an emphasis on their translational potential as biomarkers and therapeutic targets. We welcome studies that advance functional microbiome understanding and support the development of microbiome-based precision therapies for IBD.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

● Gut microbiome functional profiling in IBD;

● Microbial metabolites and host–microbiome interactions in intestinal inflammation;

● Dysbiosis mechanisms and epithelial barrier dysfunction;

● Immune regulation and mucosal healing in IBD;

● Multi-omics approaches for functional microbiome analysis;

● Microbiome-based therapeutics (FMT, probiotics, postbiotics);

● Precision medicine and biomarker-driven stratification in IBD;

● Diet–microbiome interactions and systems biology/AI approaches.

Gut microbiome, inflammatory bowel disease, microbial metabolites, dysbiosis, host–microbiome interactions, immune regulation, multi-omics, fecal microbiota transplantation, precision medicine, short-chain fatty acids