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Li X, Shang S, Wu M, Song Q, Chen D. Gut microbial metabolites in lung cancer development and immunotherapy: Novel insights into gut-lung axis. Cancer Lett 2024; 598:217096. [PMID: 38969161 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.217096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
Metabolic derivatives of numerous microorganisms inhabiting the human gut can participate in regulating physiological activities and immune status of the lungs through the gut-lung axis. The current well-established microbial metabolites include short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), tryptophan and its derivatives, polyamines (PAs), secondary bile acids (SBAs), etc. As the study continues to deepen, the critical function of microbial metabolites in the occurrence and treatment of lung cancer has gradually been revealed. Microbial derivates can enter the circulation system to modulate the immune microenvironment of lung cancer. Mechanistically, oncometabolites damage host DNA and promote the occurrence of lung cancer, while tumor-suppresive metabolites directly affect the immune system to combat the malignant properties of cancer cells and even show considerable application potential in improving the efficacy of lung cancer immunotherapy. Considering the crosstalk along the gut-lung axis, in-depth exploration of microbial metabolites in patients' feces or serum will provide novel guidance for lung cancer diagnosis and treatment selection strategies. In addition, targeted therapeutics on microbial metabolites are expected to overcome the bottleneck of lung cancer immunotherapy and alleviate adverse reactions, including fecal microbiota transplantation, microecological preparations, metabolite synthesis and drugs targeting metabolic pathways. In summary, this review provides novel insights and explanations on the intricate interplay between gut microbial metabolites and lung cancer development, and immunotherapy through the lens of the gut-lung axis, which further confirms the possible translational potential of the microbiome metabolome in lung cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinpei Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Shijie Shang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China; Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Meng Wu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Qian Song
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China.
| | - Dawei Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China.
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Kwon SY, Thi-Thu Ngo H, Son J, Hong Y, Min JJ. Exploiting bacteria for cancer immunotherapy. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2024:10.1038/s41571-024-00908-9. [PMID: 38840029 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-024-00908-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of cancer but continues to be constrained by limited response rates, acquired resistance, toxicities and high costs, which necessitates the development of new, innovative strategies. The discovery of a connection between the human microbiota and cancer dates back 4,000 years, when local infection was observed to result in tumour eradication in some individuals. However, the true oncological relevance of the intratumoural microbiota was not recognized until the turn of the twentieth century. The intratumoural microbiota can have pivotal roles in both the pathogenesis and treatment of cancer. In particular, intratumoural bacteria can either promote or inhibit cancer growth via remodelling of the tumour microenvironment. Over the past two decades, remarkable progress has been made preclinically in engineering bacteria as agents for cancer immunotherapy; some of these bacterial products have successfully reached the clinical stages of development. In this Review, we discuss the characteristics of intratumoural bacteria and their intricate interactions with the tumour microenvironment. We also describe the many strategies used to engineer bacteria for use in the treatment of cancer, summarizing contemporary data from completed and ongoing clinical trials. The work described herein highlights the potential of bacteria to transform the landscape of cancer therapy, bridging ancient wisdom with modern scientific innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seong-Young Kwon
- Institute for Molecular Imaging and Theranostics, Chonnam National University Medical School, Jeonnam, Republic of Korea
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Jeonnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Hien Thi-Thu Ngo
- Institute for Molecular Imaging and Theranostics, Chonnam National University Medical School, Jeonnam, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chonnam National University Medical School, Jeonnam, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biochemistry, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Jinbae Son
- CNCure Biotech, Jeonnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeongjin Hong
- Institute for Molecular Imaging and Theranostics, Chonnam National University Medical School, Jeonnam, Republic of Korea
- CNCure Biotech, Jeonnam, Republic of Korea
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Jeonnam, Republic of Korea
- National Immunotherapy Innovation Center, Chonnam National University, Jeonnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Joon Min
- Institute for Molecular Imaging and Theranostics, Chonnam National University Medical School, Jeonnam, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Jeonnam, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chonnam National University Medical School, Jeonnam, Republic of Korea.
- CNCure Biotech, Jeonnam, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Jeonnam, Republic of Korea.
- National Immunotherapy Innovation Center, Chonnam National University, Jeonnam, Republic of Korea.
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Elango A, Nesam VD, Sukumar P, Lawrence I, Radhakrishnan A. Postbiotic butyrate: role and its effects for being a potential drug and biomarker to pancreatic cancer. Arch Microbiol 2024; 206:156. [PMID: 38480544 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-024-03914-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Postbiotics are produced by microbes and have recently gained importance in the field of oncology due to their beneficial effects to the host, effectiveness against cancer cells, and their ability to suppress inflammation. In particular, butyrate dominates over all other postbiotics both in quantity and anticancer properties. Pancreatic cancer (PC), being one of the most malignant and lethal cancers, reported a decreased 5-year survival rate in less than 10% of the patients. PC causes an increased mortality rate due to its inability to be detected at an early stage but still a promising strategy for its diagnosis has not been achieved yet. It is necessary to diagnose Pancreatic cancer before the metastatic progression stage. The available blood biomarkers lack accurate and proficient diagnostic results. Postbiotic butyrate is produced by gut microbiota such as Rhuminococcus and Faecalibacterium it is involved in cell signalling pathways, autophagy, and cell cycle regulation, and reduction in butyrate concentration is associated with the occurrence of pancreatic cancer. The postbiotic butyrate is a potential biomarker that could detect PC at an early stage, before the metastatic progression stage. Thus, this review focused on the gut microbiota butyrate's role in pancreatic cancer and the immuno-suppressive environment, its effects on histone deacetylase and other immune cells, microbes in major butyrate synthesis pathways, current biomarkers in use for Pancreatic Cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abinaya Elango
- Department of Pharmacology, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, 603103, India
| | - Vineeta Debbie Nesam
- Department of Pharmacology, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, 603103, India
| | - Padmaja Sukumar
- Department of Pharmacology, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, 603103, India
| | - Infancia Lawrence
- Priyadharshani Research and Development, Kelambakkam, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, 603103, India
| | - Arunkumar Radhakrishnan
- Department of Pharmacology, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, 603103, India.
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Liu W, Pi Z, Mao W. Beyond probiotics: postbiotics sensitize cancer cells to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Trends Cancer 2024; 10:5-7. [PMID: 38101956 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2023.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Accumulated research corroborates the feasibility of microbial antitumor therapies, enriching the diversity of cancer therapeutics. Recently, Ferrari et al. revealed the role of postbiotics in sensitizing cancer cells to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and synergizing immunotherapy. Particularly, phytosphingosine induces upstream MYD88/NF-κB and downstream NLRC5 activation, enhances T cell effector responses, and inhibits tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weici Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi 214023, China; Wuxi College of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi 214023, China
| | - Zheshun Pi
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi 214023, China; Wuxi College of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi 214023, China
| | - Wenjun Mao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi 214023, China; Wuxi College of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi 214023, China.
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Ciernikova S, Sevcikova A, Mladosievicova B, Mego M. Microbiome in Cancer Development and Treatment. Microorganisms 2023; 12:24. [PMID: 38257851 PMCID: PMC10819529 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Targeting the microbiome, microbiota-derived metabolites, and related pathways represents a significant challenge in oncology. Microbiome analyses have confirmed the negative impact of cancer treatment on gut homeostasis, resulting in acute dysbiosis and severe complications, including massive inflammatory immune response, mucosal barrier disruption, and bacterial translocation across the gut epithelium. Moreover, recent studies revealed the relationship between an imbalance in the gut microbiome and treatment-related toxicity. In this review, we provide current insights into the role of the microbiome in tumor development and the impact of gut and tumor microbiomes on chemo- and immunotherapy efficacy, as well as treatment-induced late effects, including cognitive impairment and cardiotoxicity. As discussed, microbiota modulation via probiotic supplementation and fecal microbiota transplantation represents a new trend in cancer patient care, aiming to increase bacterial diversity, alleviate acute and long-term treatment-induced toxicity, and improve the response to various treatment modalities. However, a more detailed understanding of the complex relationship between the microbiome and host can significantly contribute to integrating a microbiome-based approach into clinical practice. Determination of causal correlations might lead to the identification of clinically relevant diagnostic and prognostic microbial biomarkers. Notably, restoration of intestinal homeostasis could contribute to optimizing treatment efficacy and improving cancer patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sona Ciernikova
- Department of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia;
| | - Aneta Sevcikova
- Department of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia;
| | - Beata Mladosievicova
- Institute of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Sasinkova 4, 811 08 Bratislava, Slovakia;
| | - Michal Mego
- 2nd Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University and National Cancer Institute, 833 10 Bratislava, Slovakia;
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