Unraveling Microbiota-Induced Confounders in Health Studies, and in Regulatory Decisions

Microbiota research is an expanding field, illuminating the extensive influence microorganisms exert on human health. The complexity arises from the understanding that non-communicable diseases, historically viewed as unrelated to microbial influence, may indeed have microbial components potentially linked to microbiota transmission. The dynamic nature of microbial identity, influenced by factors such as diet and antibiotics, alongside social interactions involving physical contact with diverse microbiomes, raises questions surrounding their genetic impact. Despite advances, uncertainty remains regarding how social interactions with different microbiomes influence individual and community health. Research has shown that transmission of microbiota between individuals can alter physiological and psychological conditions, indicating the potential for microbial confounders in statistical comparisons. However, there is a significant gap in evaluating how microbiota transfer among individuals affects scientific and medical analyses.

This Research Topic aims to identify and elucidate biases linked to microbiota phenotypes in medical research, particularly those previously misunderstood or unrecognized. By highlighting these biases, the goal is to refine clinical interpretations and enhance the robustness of methodologies. Central to this aim is examining the confounding effects of microbiota variations across individuals in close contact, integrating these factors into statistical analyses. A key objective is evaluating how these biases impact regulatory decisions and the development of policies for pharmaceutical and medical device approval processes. By emphasizing regulatory implications, the Research Topic seeks contributions that provide insights into the operationalization of microbiome data within the regulatory framework, ultimately facilitating the development of efficacious and safe health products.

To gather further insights into microbiota-induced biases, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Questionnaire studies linking disease prevalence and severity to microbiota phenotypes

• Research on physiological and pathological conditions related to microbiota

• Using artificial intelligence and deep learning to detect microbiota-induced biases

• Identifying statistical biases related to microbiota variations

• Exploring prognostic, diagnostic, therapeutic, and prophylactic biases from microbiota

• Developing protocols to correct for biases

• Comprehensive review papers

We invite a broad range of article types, including methodological studies, registered clinical trials, cohort studies, and comparative analyses.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: social network; social dynamism; microbiota phenotype; bacterial transmission; disease communication; bias; methodology

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.