ijms-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

The Role of the Dysbiotic Microbiota in Cancer

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2020) | Viewed by 41762

Special Issue Editor

Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
Interests: cancer immunology; bioinformatics; noncoding RNA; head and neck cancer; cancer etiologies; cancer biomarkers

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The importance of the microbiome in health and disease is rapidly gaining acceptance, and there is growing evidence that the microbiome has far reaching effects, including controlling tissue homeostasis, cell fate decisions, and the pathogenesis and progression of various cancers. In humans and mice, it has been shown that the malignant tumors of the gut, skin, lungs, and several other organs have altered microbiota and that various etiologic agents that promote carcinogenesis are associated with dysbiotic microbiota, suggesting that the microbiome may be useful in the diagnosis of various cancers. Several studies have shown that these dysbiotic microbiota may contribute to epithelial carcinogenesis and tumor progression, both locally and at distant locations, through the various factors they secrete and through their effects on the epithelial barriers. Very recently, it was demonstrated that the microbiome regulates the efficacy of chemotherapy and immune-check point inhibitors, suggesting that the microbiome may be exploited for optimal response to various cancer treatments. In this Special Issue, we seek contributions that will further elucidate the dysbiotic microbiota in cancer and how the altered microbiome promotes cancer pathogenesis and progression.

Prof. Dr. Weg M. Ongkeko
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • microbiome
  • cancer pathogenesis and progression
  • immunotherapy
  • chemotherapy
  • drug resistance
  • dysbiotic microbiota
  • mutations
  • smoking
  • alcohol
  • epithelial barrier

Published Papers (5 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

23 pages, 3680 KiB  
Article
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Prevents Intestinal Injury, Upregulation of Toll-Like Receptors, and 5-Fluorouracil/Oxaliplatin-Induced Toxicity in Colorectal Cancer
by Ching-Wei Chang, Hung-Chang Lee, Li-Hui Li, Jen-Shiu Chiang Chiau, Tsang-En Wang, Wei-Hung Chuang, Ming-Jen Chen, Horng-Yuan Wang, Shou-Chuan Shih, Chia-Yuan Liu, Tung-Hu Tsai and Yu-Jen Chen
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(2), 386; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21020386 - 08 Jan 2020
Cited by 119 | Viewed by 7022
Abstract
FOLFOX (5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin), a 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-based chemotherapy regimen, is one of most common therapeutic regimens for colorectal cancer. However, intestinal mucositis is a common adverse effect for which no effective preventive strategies exist. Moreover, the efficacy and the safety of fecal [...] Read more.
FOLFOX (5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin), a 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-based chemotherapy regimen, is one of most common therapeutic regimens for colorectal cancer. However, intestinal mucositis is a common adverse effect for which no effective preventive strategies exist. Moreover, the efficacy and the safety of fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) in cancer patients treated with anti-neoplastic agents are still scant. We investigated the effect of FMT on FOLFOX-induced mucosal injury. BALB/c mice implanted with syngeneic CT26 colorectal adenocarcinoma cells were orally administered FMT daily during and two days after five-day injection of FOLFOX regimen for seven days. Administration of FOLFOX significantly induced marked levels of diarrhea and intestinal injury. FMT reduced the severity of diarrhea and intestinal mucositis. Additionally, the number of goblet cells and zonula occludens-1 decreased, while apoptotic and NF-κB-positive cells increased following FOLFOX treatment. The expression of toll-like receptors (TLRs), MyD88, and serum IL-6 were upregulated following FOLFOX treatment. These responses were attenuated following FMT. The disrupted fecal gut microbiota composition was also restored by FMT after FOLFOX treatment. Importantly, FMT did not cause bacteremia and safely alleviated FOLFOX-induced intestinal mucositis in colorectal cancer-bearing mice. The putative mechanism may involve the gut microbiota TLR-MyD88-NF-κB signaling pathway in mice with implanted colorectal carcinoma cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of the Dysbiotic Microbiota in Cancer)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

12 pages, 283 KiB  
Review
The Role of the Gut Microbiota in Colorectal Cancer Causation
by Eiman A. Alhinai, Gemma E. Walton and Daniel M. Commane
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(21), 5295; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20215295 - 24 Oct 2019
Cited by 95 | Viewed by 8381
Abstract
Here, we reviewed emerging evidence on the role of the microbial community in colorectal carcinogenesis. A healthy gut microbiota promotes intestinal homeostasis and can exert anti-cancer effects; however, this microbiota also produces a variety of metabolites that are genotoxic and which can negatively [...] Read more.
Here, we reviewed emerging evidence on the role of the microbial community in colorectal carcinogenesis. A healthy gut microbiota promotes intestinal homeostasis and can exert anti-cancer effects; however, this microbiota also produces a variety of metabolites that are genotoxic and which can negatively influence epithelial cell behaviour. Disturbances in the normal microbial balance, known as dysbiosis, are frequently observed in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Microbial species linked to CRC include certain strains of Bacteroides fragilis, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus gallolyticus, Enterococcus faecalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum, amongst others. Whether these microbes are merely passive dwellers exploiting the tumour environment, or rather, active protagonists in the carcinogenic process is the subject of much research. The incidence of chemically-induced tumours in mice models varies, depending upon the presence or absence of these microorganisms, thus strongly suggesting influences on disease causation. Putative mechanistic explanations differentially link these strains to DNA damage, inflammation, aberrant cell behaviour and immune suppression. In the future, modulating the composition and metabolic activity of this microbial community may have a role in prevention and therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of the Dysbiotic Microbiota in Cancer)
25 pages, 2273 KiB  
Review
Intestinal Microbiota: A Novel Target to Improve Anti-Tumor Treatment?
by Romain Villéger, Amélie Lopès, Guillaume Carrier, Julie Veziant, Elisabeth Billard, Nicolas Barnich, Johan Gagnière, Emilie Vazeille and Mathilde Bonnet
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(18), 4584; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20184584 - 17 Sep 2019
Cited by 73 | Viewed by 8228
Abstract
Recently, preclinical and clinical studies targeting several types of cancer strongly supported the key role of the gut microbiota in the modulation of host response to anti-tumoral therapies such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy and even surgery. Intestinal microbiome has been shown to participate [...] Read more.
Recently, preclinical and clinical studies targeting several types of cancer strongly supported the key role of the gut microbiota in the modulation of host response to anti-tumoral therapies such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy and even surgery. Intestinal microbiome has been shown to participate in the resistance to a wide range of anticancer treatments by direct interaction with the treatment or by indirectly stimulating host response through immunomodulation. Interestingly, these effects were described on colorectal cancer but also in other types of malignancies. In addition to their role in therapy efficacy, gut microbiota could also impact side effects induced by anticancer treatments. In the first part of this review, we summarized the role of the gut microbiome on the efficacy and side effects of various anticancer treatments and underlying mechanisms. In the second part, we described the new microbiota-targeting strategies, such as probiotics and prebiotics, antibiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation and physical activity, which could be effective adjuvant therapies developed in order to improve anticancer therapeutic efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of the Dysbiotic Microbiota in Cancer)
Show Figures

Figure 1

31 pages, 817 KiB  
Review
Oral Bacteria and Intestinal Dysbiosis in Colorectal Cancer
by Ioannis Koliarakis, Ippokratis Messaritakis, Taxiarchis Konstantinos Nikolouzakis, George Hamilos, John Souglakos and John Tsiaoussis
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(17), 4146; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20174146 - 25 Aug 2019
Cited by 131 | Viewed by 12440
Abstract
The human organism coexists with its microbiota in a symbiotic relationship. These polymicrobial communities are involved in many crucial functions, such as immunity, protection against pathogens, and metabolism of dietary compounds, thus maintaining homeostasis. The oral cavity and the colon, although distant anatomic [...] Read more.
The human organism coexists with its microbiota in a symbiotic relationship. These polymicrobial communities are involved in many crucial functions, such as immunity, protection against pathogens, and metabolism of dietary compounds, thus maintaining homeostasis. The oral cavity and the colon, although distant anatomic regions, are both highly colonized by distinct microbiotas. However, studies indicate that oral bacteria are able to disseminate into the colon. This is mostly evident in conditions such as periodontitis, where specific bacteria, namely Fusobacterium nucrelatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis project a pathogenic profile. In the colon these bacteria can alter the composition of the residual microbiota, in the context of complex biofilms, resulting in intestinal dysbiosis. This orally-driven disruption promotes aberrant immune and inflammatory responses, eventually leading to colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis. Understanding the exact mechanisms of these interactions will yield future opportunities regarding prevention and treatment of CRC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of the Dysbiotic Microbiota in Cancer)
Show Figures

Figure 1

34 pages, 951 KiB  
Review
The Clinical Link between Human Intestinal Microbiota and Systemic Cancer Therapy
by Romy Aarnoutse, Janine Ziemons, John Penders, Sander S. Rensen, Judith de Vos-Geelen and Marjolein L. Smidt
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(17), 4145; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20174145 - 25 Aug 2019
Cited by 43 | Viewed by 5162
Abstract
Clinical interest in the human intestinal microbiota has increased considerably. However, an overview of clinical studies investigating the link between the human intestinal microbiota and systemic cancer therapy is lacking. This systematic review summarizes all clinical studies describing the association between baseline intestinal [...] Read more.
Clinical interest in the human intestinal microbiota has increased considerably. However, an overview of clinical studies investigating the link between the human intestinal microbiota and systemic cancer therapy is lacking. This systematic review summarizes all clinical studies describing the association between baseline intestinal microbiota and systemic cancer therapy outcome as well as therapy-related changes in intestinal microbiota composition. A systematic literature search was performed and provided 23 articles. There were strong indications for a close association between the intestinal microbiota and outcome of immunotherapy. Furthermore, the development of chemotherapy-induced infectious complications seemed to be associated with the baseline microbiota profile. Both chemotherapy and immunotherapy induced drastic changes in gut microbiota composition with possible consequences for treatment efficacy. Evidence in the field of hormonal therapy was very limited. Large heterogeneity concerning study design, study population, and methods used for analysis limited comparability and generalization of results. For the future, longitudinal studies investigating the predictive ability of baseline intestinal microbiota concerning treatment outcome and complications as well as the potential use of microbiota-modulating strategies in cancer patients are required. More knowledge in this field is likely to be of clinical benefit since modulation of the microbiota might support cancer therapy in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of the Dysbiotic Microbiota in Cancer)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop