Natural and Engineered Probiotics in Human Health and Disease

Natural and engineered probiotics are emerging as innovative tools for enhancing human health and managing a wide range of diseases. Natural compounds derived from plants, fruits, vegetables, and herbal extracts provide bioactive molecules that can positively influence physiological processes such as immune response, oxidative stress, metabolic balance, and inflammation. These natural compounds often work in synergy with probiotics, supporting recovery and resilience against disorders affecting the metabolism, gut, nervous system, and cardiovascular health. Meanwhile, engineered probiotics—created using synthetic biology techniques—offer the potential for targeted therapeutic delivery and personalized interventions. Integrating natural products with engineered probiotics may enable more precise, microbiota-independent strategies, expanding the available options beyond traditional pharmaceuticals.

Ongoing research in this field is focused on identifying active molecules, elucidating their mechanisms, and improving the stability and effectiveness of probiotic therapies. The main goals are to develop safe and efficient interventions for both the prevention and treatment of acute and chronic diseases, while validating their efficacy and safety in clinical settings. Interdisciplinary approaches—drawing on microbiology, biotechnology, pharmacology, and systems biology—are especially valuable for unraveling how these interventions impact critical processes such as immune regulation, metabolic homeostasis, and inflammatory pathways.

This collection encourages submissions exploring, but not limited to:
- Synergistic effects of natural compounds (e.g., polyphenols, plant extracts, dietary fibers) and probiotic strains in modulating physiological functions.
- Advances in genetically engineered probiotics for delivery of therapeutic molecules or targeted modulation of host responses.
- Mechanistic studies on how these interventions regulate immunity, inflammation, metabolism, and cellular homeostasis.
- Strategies to improve probiotic stability, functionality, and targeted delivery.
- Clinical and preclinical research validating the safety and efficacy of natural and engineered probiotics.
- Microbiota-independent therapeutic approaches for chronic and multifactorial diseases.
- Interdisciplinary research leveraging microbiology, pharmacology, biotechnology, and systems biology to develop innovative therapies.

Article types and fees

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

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• ... 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
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Polyphenols, Probiotics, Metabolic diseases, Cardiovascular diseases, Human health, Intestinal Microbiome, Natural Products, Engineered Probiotics

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.