Special Issue "Gastrointestinal Microbiota and Gut Barrier Impact Human Health and Disease": Editorial

The increasing incidence of non-communicable diseases is a worldwide public health issue, and the role of gut microbiota is becoming evident. Gut microbiota modifications due to various environmental factors are associated with impaired gut barrier integrity, increasing bacterial translocation and contributing to low-grade inflammation. Numerous recent studies have shown significant associations of the alterations of gut barrier integrity and gut microbiota changes with inflammation. Hence, understanding the triggering mechanisms of the inflammatory responses in patients affected by chronic diseases could enable the development of intervention strategies, such as personalized diet, prebiotics, probiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation. This Special Issue on “Gastrointestinal Microbiota and Gut Barrier Impact Human Health and Disease” aimed to dissect the gut microbiota/gut barrier interactions, outlining their potential role in health and diseases. It compiles fifteen original papers and nine reviews.