Gene Expression Analysis of Human Papillomavirus-Associated Colorectal Carcinoma

Microbiome Differences in Colorectal Cancer Patients and Healthy Individuals: Implications for Vaccine Antigen Discovery

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent cancer worldwide, with numerous risk factors contributing to its development. Recent research has illuminated the significant role of the gut microbiota in CRC pathogenesis, identifying various microbial antigens as potential targets for vaccine development.

Aim

This review aimed at exploring the potential sources of microbial antigens that could be harnessed to create effective CRC vaccines and understand the role of microbiome-CRC interactions in carcinogenesis.

Methods

A comprehensive search of original research and review articles on the pathological links between key microbial candidates, particularly those more prevalent in CRC tissues, was conducted. This involved extensive use of the PubMed and Medline databases, as well as the Google Scholar search engine, utilizing pertinent keywords. A total of one hundred and forty-three relevant articles in English, mostly published between 2018 and 2024, were selected.

Results

Numerous microbes, particularly bacteria and viruses, are significantly overrepresented in CRC tissues and have been shown to promote tumorigenesis by inducing inflammation and modulating the immune system. This makes them promising candidates for antigens in the development of CRC vaccines.

Conclusion

The selection of microbial antigens focuses on their capacity to trigger a strong immune response and their link to tumor presence and progression. Identifying and validating these antigens through preclinical testing is essential in developing a CRC vaccine.

Colorectal cancer and gut viruses: a visualized analysis based on CiteSpace knowledge graph

Background

Gut microbiome is a complex community of microbes present in the human gut and plays an important role in the occurrence and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the relationship between virus and CRC has not been fully understood.

Objective

To explore the hot spots and research trends in the field of CRC and virus.

Methods

By using the bibliometric analysis tool CiteSpace and based on the articles of the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database, the country, institution, highly cited literature, keywords and so on were visually analyzed.

Results

A total of 356 research articles on CRC from 2001 to 2023 were thoroughly analyzed. The USA and China have made the largest contribution in the field of virus and CRC. The Helmholtz Association published the most papers. There were relatively few cooperations among institutions from different countries. The results of keyword cluster analysis proved that the literature on the relationship between human cytomegalovirus (CMV) and CRC was the most widely studied aspect in this field. "Gut microbiota," "inflammatory bowel disease," "hepatitis b virus," and "human papillomavirus infection" are the current research hotspots; "oncolytic virus," "apoptosis," and "gut microbiome" are the recent research frontiers and should be paid closer attention.

Conclusion

By using CiteSpace bibliometric software, the visual analysis reflected the research trends and hot topics of virus and CRC. In addition, the prevalence and mechanism of specific virus on CRC were also reviewed, which provides valuable references for future CRC research.

Dynamic impact of virome on colitis and colorectal cancer: Immunity, inflammation, prevention and treatment

The gut microbiome includes a series of microorganism genomes, such as bacteriome, virome, mycobiome, etc. The gut microbiota is critically involved in intestine immunity and diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC); however, the underlying mechanism remains incompletely understood. Clarifying the relationship between microbiota and inflammation may profoundly improve our understanding of etiology, disease progression, patient management, and the development of prevention and treatment. In this review, we discuss the latest studies of the influence of enteric viruses (i.e., commensal viruses, pathogenic viruses, and bacteriophages) in the initiation, progression, and complication of colitis and colorectal cancer, and their potential for novel preventative approaches and therapeutic application. We explore the interplay between gut viruses and host immune systems for its effects on the severity of inflammatory diseases and cancer, including both direct and indirect interactions between enteric viruses with other microbes and microbial products. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms of the virome's roles in gut inflammatory response have been explained to infer potential therapeutic targets with examples in specific clinical trials. Given that very limited literature has thus far discussed these various topics with the gut virome, we believe these extensive analyses may provide insight into the understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of IBD and CRC, which could help add the design of improved therapies for these important human diseases.

Gut microbiota: Role and Association with Tumorigenesis in Different Malignancies

The microbiota has been associated with different cancer and may vary from patient to patient. A specific microbial strain can alter the progression of cancer and therapeutic outcome in response to anti-cancer therapy. The variations in microbiota contributed due to the individual microbiome of the microorganism are responsible for diverse clinical outcomes. The expansion of microbiota subpopulation during dysbiosis can lead to toxin production, inducing inflammation and cancer. The microbiota can be a dual-edged sword because it can be tumor-suppressive or oncogenic in the case of the gut. The transition of cancer cells from early to late-stage also impacts the composition of the microbiota, and this alteration could change the behavior of cancer. Multi-omics platforms derived data from an individual's multi-dimensional data (DNA, mRNA, microRNA, protein, metabolite, microbiota, and microbiome), i.e., individualome, to exploit it for personalized tailored treatment for different cancers in a precise manner. A number of studies suggest the importance of microbiota and its add-in suitability to existing treatment options for different malignancies. Furthermore, in vitro, and in vivo studies and cancer clinical trials suggest that probiotics have driven modulation of gut microbiota and other sites discourage the aggressive behavior and progression of different cancers.

Association of miRNA targetome variants in LAMC1 and GNB3 genes with colorectal cancer and obesity

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common obesity‐associated cancers. Inflammation is also considered the most important factor between obesity and CRC. This study aimed to examine miRNAs binding sites variants on inflammatory genes identified using bioinformatics and systematic approach on clinical samples that were collected from CRC patients and controls.

Methods

The candidate variants related to CRC inflammatory genes were obtained from genome‐wide association studies and their population‐specific haplotypes. The variants were analyzed according to their genomic position on the miRNA targetome. Targetome variants in inflammation‐related genes were selected for genetic association study by TaqMan genotyping assay.

Results

The GG genotype of rs7473 decreased the risk of obesity (p < 0.05). Heterozygous genotype (GA) of rs1547715 decreased the risk of CRC (p < 0.05). In the rs7473/rs1547715 genotype and haplotype, the frequencies of AA/GA and GG/AA lessened in CRC and obesity, respectively (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The variants of rs7473 and rs1547715 were associated with obesity and CRC, respectively. The above‐mentioned associations could be made based on the interactions of these variants with miRNAs.

The Human Virome: Viral Metagenomics, Relations with Human Diseases, and Therapeutic Applications

The human body is colonized by a wide range of microorganisms. The field of viromics has expanded since the first reports on the detection of viruses via metagenomic sequencing in 2002. With the continued development of reference materials and databases, viral metagenomic approaches have been used to explore known components of the virome and discover new viruses from various types of samples. The virome has attracted substantial interest since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Increasing numbers of studies and review articles have documented the diverse virome in various sites in the human body, as well as interactions between the human host and the virome with regard to health and disease. However, there have been few studies of direct causal relationships. Viral metagenomic analyses often lack standard references and are potentially subject to bias. Moreover, most virome-related review articles have focused on the gut virome and did not investigate the roles of the virome in other sites of the body in human disease. This review presents an overview of viral metagenomics, with updates regarding the relations between alterations in the human virome and the pathogenesis of human diseases, recent findings related to COVID-19, and therapeutic applications related to the human virome.

WNT5a in Colorectal Cancer: Research Progress and Challenges

Despite the clinical development of new adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy drugs, colorectal cancer is still one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in human beings. WNT5a, an autocrine and paracrine β-catenin independent ligand, has been shown to induce tumor inhibition and carcinogenic signals, depending on the type of cancer. In patients with colorectal cancer, WNT5a triggers a variety of downstream signaling pathways, which mainly affect the migration and invasion of tumor cells. This article reviews the mechanism and therapeutic potential of WNT5a in colorectal cancer. In short, an in-depth understanding of the role of WNT5a in colorectal cancer is very helpful to better deal with this disease.

Viruses in Cancers of the Digestive System: Active Contributors or Idle Bystanders?

The human virome, which is a collection of all the viruses that are present in the human body, is increasingly being recognized as an essential part of the human microbiota. The human gastrointestinal tract and related organs (e.g., liver, pancreas, and gallbladder)-composing the gastrointestinal (or digestive) system-contain a huge number of viral particles which contribute to maintaining tissue homeostasis and keeping our body healthy. However, perturbations of the virome steady-state may, both directly and indirectly, ignite/sustain oncogenic mechanisms contributing to the initiation of a dysplastic process and/or cancer progression. In this review, we summarize and discuss the available evidence on the association and role of viruses in the development of cancers of the digestive system.

Does human papillomavirus cause human colorectal cancer? Applying Bradford Hill criteria postulates

The role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in human colorectal cancer (CRC) has already been widely investigated worldwide with conflicting results. Although researchers have tried to establish the link between HPV and CRC through a statistical meta-analysis of the previous studies associating HPV with CRC, they failed to establish a more reliable link due to the shortcomings of the statistical meta-analysis. In the present study, we identified population-wide studies relating HPV with CRC through the PubMed search engine. Then, we examined the available data of HPV prevalence in CRC and normal/benign samples and applied the postulates of Bradford Hill criteria on the available evidence to investigate the association between HPV and CRC. The Bradford Hill criteria are very old, reliable and widely accepted for establishing a link between the cause and disease. In addition, to further enhance the reliability of the outcomes, we have also evaluated the methodologies of the previous studies to address the possibility of false-negative and false-positive results. After a careful evaluation of the extracted data against the postulates of Bradford Hill criteria, it was observed that none of the studies fulfil all the major postulates of Bradford Hill criteria for causation including temporality, consistency, biological gradient, experiment, coherence, specificity and analogy. Hence, no causal relationship has been suggested between HPV and CRC patients of the any included population. The results failed to prove the causal relationship between HPV and CRC and suggested HPV as a coparticipant in the pathogenesis of CRC.