Publication Name	World Journal of Virology
Manuscript ID	118362
Country	Egypt

Category	Pediatrics
Manuscript Type	Review
Article Title	Unveiling the viral dimension: The paediatric gut virome as a key modulator of gastrointestinal metabolic, and neurodevelopmental health
Manuscript Source	Invited Manuscript
All Author List	Nermin K Saeed, Yousif M Elbeltagi and Mohammed Al-Beltagi
Funding Agency and Grant Number
Corresponding Author	Mohammed Al-Beltagi, Chairman, Consultant, Head, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, 1 Hassan Radwan Street, Tanta 31511, Algharbia, Egypt. mbelrem@hotmail.com
Key Words	Paediatric virome; Bacteriophages; Gut-immune axis; Dysbiosis; necrotizing enterocolitis; Phage therapy; Microbial succession
Core Tip	The pediatric gut virome is an active biological rheostat that shapes the developmental trajectory of the infant immune system and metabolic health. Beyond serving as a reservoir for pathogens, this complex viral ecosystem-dominated by bacteriophages-governs bacterial population dynamics through lytic pressure and horizontal gene transfer. During the critical first 1000 days of life, virome disturbances triggered by antibiotics, formula feeding, or neonatal intensive care unit hospitalization can drive the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and systemic autoimmunity. Moving forward, “illuminating” viral dark matter and leveraging precision tools such as phage therapy will be essential to transitioning toward virome-inclusive, proactive pediatric medicine.
Citation	Saeed NK, Elbeltagi YM, Al-Beltagi M. Unveiling the viral dimension: The paediatric gut virome as a key modulator of gastrointestinal metabolic, and neurodevelopmental health. World J Virol 2026; In press

Received	2025-12-31 00:50
Peer-Review Started	2025-12-31 00:51
First Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-01-27 07:51
Return for Revision	2026-01-27 07:51
Revised	2026-01-27 11:37
Publication Fee Transferred
Second Decision by Editor	2026-02-13 02:34
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-02-13 04:45
Articles in Press	2026-02-13 04:45
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	2220-3249 (online)
Open Access	This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Copyright	The Author(s) 2026. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
Permissions	For details, please visit: http://www.wjgnet.com/bpg/gerinfo/207
Publisher	Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
Website	http://www.wjgnet.com