1. The Role of the Gut Microbiome in Cancer: A Review, With Special Focus on Colorectal Neoplasia and Clostridioides difficile.
- Author
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Anderson SM and Sears CL
- Subjects
- Humans, Clostridioides, Bacteria, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Clostridioides difficile, Colorectal Neoplasms, Microbiota, Bacterial Toxins, Clostridium Infections microbiology
- Abstract
The gut microbiome has coevolved with humans to aid in physiologic functions and prevent disease. An increasing prevalence of gut dysbiosis in modern society exists and has strong linkages to multiple disease processes common in the developed world. Mechanisms for microbiome-human interactions that impact host homeostasis include bacterial metabolite/toxin production, biofilm formation with mucous layer infiltration, and host immune system modulation. Most of this crosstalk occurs at the epithelial layer of the gut, and as such the role of these interactions in the induction of colorectal cancer-a highly prevalent disease globally and one undergoing significant epidemiologic shifts-is under increasing scrutiny. Although multiple individual gut bacteria have been hypothesized as possible driver organisms in the oncogenic process, no bacterium has been definitively identified as a causal agent of colorectal cancer, suggesting that host lifestyle factors, microbiome community interactions, and the mucosal and/or systemic immune response may play a critical role in the process. Recent evidence has emerged implicating the ubiquitous human pathogen Clostridioides difficile as a possible promoter of colorectal cancer through chronic toxin-mediated cellular changes. Although much remains to be defined regarding the natural history of infections caused by this pathogen and its potential for oncogenesis, it provides a strong model for the role of both individual bacteria and of the gut microbial community as a whole in the development of colorectal cancer., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. C. S. reports royalties from UpToDate to CLS for writing and reviews of content, US Utility Application number 16/976,721, Bacterial Biofilms and Cancer, and received salary support to the institution for their role as Editor in Chief of the Journal of Infectious Diseases. S. M. A. reports no potential conflicts. Both authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)
- Published
- 2023
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