KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to investigate the role of Bacteroidetes and Clostridia bacteria and their metabolites in colorectal cancer development.
- Researchers observed a significant influence of bacterial metabolites on inflammation and gene expression, affirming the pivotal role of gut microbiota in colorectal cancer.
The gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in colorectal cancer (CRC) development, with microbial pathogens and their metabolites potentially intensifying CRC progression. Somayeh Jahani-Sherafat and his team aimed to focus on analyzing Bacteroidetes and Clostridia bacteria in CRC patients, examining the bacterial metabolome in cancerous tissues in comparison to adjacent normal tissues.
Researchers performed an inclusive analysis of biopsy specimens from 30 colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, employing RT-qPCR to study the population of selected bacteria. The microbiota’s mutagenicity and cytotoxicity effects were evaluated through the Ames test and MTT Assay, respectively. Additionally, RT-qPCR was employed to investigate gene expression in carcinogenic pathways, identifying genes with differential expressions in tumor and non-tumor tissues. Microbiota analysis revealed a significantly higher relative abundance of Clostridia and C. difficile in CRC tissue, contrasting with the increased presence of C. perfringens in normal tissue. The AIMES test confirmed bacterial metabolites’ proliferation and mutagenicity effects in CRC patients. Notably, CRC samples exhibited significant upregulation of C-Myc, GRB2, IL-8, EGFR, PI3K, and AKT, alongside downregulation of ATM, compared to the control.
The study concluded by affirming the significant impact of bacterial metabolites on inflammation and gene expression within cell signaling pathways. These observations solidify the pivotal role of gut microbiota composition and bacterial metabolites as key contributors to the onset and development of colorectal cancer (CRC).
No funding was provided for the study.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38302841/
Jahani-Sherafat S, Azimirad M, Raeisi H, et al (2024). “Alterations in the gut microbiota and their metabolites in human intestinal epithelial cells of patients with colorectal cancer.” Mol Biol Rep. 2024 Feb 1;51(1):265. doi: 10.1007/s11033-024-09273-3. PMID: 38302841.
