KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to investigate the role of Bifidobacterium in regulating the UC and its impact on CRC progression.
- Researchers noted that Bifidobacterium’s influence on the UC offers new therapeutic targets for patients with CRC.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent malignancy with a multifaceted and not fully understood pathogenesis.
Xusheng Nie and the team aimed to investigate the involvement of Bifidobacterium in the regulation of the urea cycle (UC) and its effects on CRC progression, an area that has not been extensively explored.
They performed an inclusive analysis using both bioinformatics and experimental methodologies to evaluate bacterial abundance in patients with CRC compared to healthy individuals. The study specifically focused on the abundance of Bifidobacterium.
Transcriptomic data and cellular experiments were conducted to investigate Bifidobacterium’s impact on ammonia metabolism and mitochondrial function, with particular attention to its regulation of the key UC gene, ALB.
The analysis revealed a significant decrease in Bifidobacterium abundance in patients with CRC. Additionally, Bifidobacterium was observed to inhibit ammonia metabolism and induce mitochondrial dysfunction by regulating the ALB gene, which plays a crucial role in the UC. These effects were associated with a reduction in CRC cell proliferation, a finding that was confirmed by animal experimental results.
The study concluded that Bifidobacterium significantly influences CRC progression by regulating key metabolic pathways, specifically through its impact on ammonia metabolism and mitochondrial function. These findings suggest potential novel therapeutic targets for CRC treatment and highlight the crucial role of microbiota in cancer progression.
This study was supported by Chongqing Rongchang District People’s Hospital 2022 the second batch of medical research Cultivation Fund Project (Rong People’s Medical Development [2022] No. 231) and 2022 Early Cancer of the Digestive Tract Physician’s Common Growth Program Scientific Research Project (GTCZ-2022-CQ-55–0004).
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39096436/
Nie X, Zhang T, Huang X, et al. (2024). “Novel therapeutic targets: bifidobacterium-mediated urea cycle regulation in colorectal cancer.” Cell Biol Toxicol. 2024 Aug 3;40(1):64. doi: 10.1007/s10565-024-09889-y. PMID: 39096436.
