Micro- and Mycobiota Dysbiosis in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Development
1
Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Center of Operative Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
2
Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
3
Department of Internal Medicine I, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Metabolism & Endocrinology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: David Wong
Cancers 2021, 13(14), 3431; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13143431
Received: 23 May 2021
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Revised: 30 June 2021
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Accepted: 5 July 2021
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Published: 8 July 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer—How Can the Latest Scientific Developments be Implemented in Clinical Practice?)
Simple Summary
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is currently the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Still, screening diagnostic, carcinogenesis and therapeutic strategies are a matter of debate. Recent research on PDAC focused on the microbial community residing in the pancreas which is formed by bacteria (microbiota) and fungi (mycobiota). These microorganisms that are associated with different pancreatic pathologies reveal fascinating, new research frontiers. Specific microbial signatures may arise as novel screening tools for early diagnosis. Local or distant effects of microbes could reveal themselves as the missing link between immunological dysregulation and PDAC initiation and/or progression. Most importantly, micro- and mycobiota may represent a promising target for multimodal treatment concepts in a (neo)adjuvant or even in a tumor prevention setting. Herein we present a review of the current literature proposing a model of how the micro- and the mycobiome may be intertwined with PDAC occurrence.
Background: Dysbiosis of the intestinal flora has emerged as an oncogenic contributor in different malignancies. Recent findings suggest a crucial tumor-promoting role of micro- and mycobiome alterations also in the development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Methods: To summarize the current knowledge about this topic, a systematic literature search of articles published until October 2020 was performed in MEDLINE (PubMed). Results: An increasing number of publications describe associations between bacterial and fungal species and PDAC development. Despite the high inter-individual variability of the commensal flora, some studies identify specific microbial signatures in PDAC patients, including oral commensals like Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum or Gram-negative bacteria like Proteobacteria. The role of Helicobacter spp. remains unclear. Recent isolation of Malassezia globosa from PDAC tissue suggest also the mycobiota as a crucial player of tumorigenesis. Based on described molecular mechanisms and interactions between the pancreatic tissue and the immune system this review proposes a model of how the micro- and the mycobial dysbiosis could contribute to tumorigenesis in PDAC. Conclusions: The presence of micro- and mycobial dysbiosis in pancreatic tumor tissue opens a fascinating perspective on PDAC oncogenesis. Further studies will pave the way for novel tumor markers and treatment strategies.
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Keywords:
pancreatic cancer; microbiome; mycobiome; inflammation; immunosuppression; tumor initiation; tumor progression; Proteobacteria; Malassezia
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MDPI and ACS Style
Bellotti, R.; Speth, C.; Adolph, T.E.; Lass-Flörl, C.; Effenberger, M.; Öfner, D.; Maglione, M. Micro- and Mycobiota Dysbiosis in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Development. Cancers 2021, 13, 3431. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13143431
AMA Style
Bellotti R, Speth C, Adolph TE, Lass-Flörl C, Effenberger M, Öfner D, Maglione M. Micro- and Mycobiota Dysbiosis in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Development. Cancers. 2021; 13(14):3431. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13143431
Chicago/Turabian StyleBellotti, Ruben, Cornelia Speth, Timon E. Adolph, Cornelia Lass-Flörl, Maria Effenberger, Dietmar Öfner, and Manuel Maglione. 2021. "Micro- and Mycobiota Dysbiosis in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Development" Cancers 13, no. 14: 3431. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13143431
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