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Coluzzi F, Scerpa MS, Loffredo C, Borro M, Pergolizzi JV, LeQuang JA, Alessandri E, Simmaco M, Rocco M. Opioid Use and Gut Dysbiosis in Cancer Pain Patients. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7999. [PMID: 39063241 PMCID: PMC11276997 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25147999] [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: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Opioids are commonly used for the management of severe chronic cancer pain. Their well-known pharmacological effects on the gastrointestinal system, particularly opioid-induced constipation (OIC), are the most common limiting factors in the optimization of analgesia, and have led to the wide use of laxatives and/or peripherally acting mu-opioid receptor antagonists (PAMORAs). A growing interest has been recently recorded in the possible effects of opioid treatment on the gut microbiota. Preclinical and clinical data, as presented in this review, showed that alterations of the gut microbiota play a role in modulating opioid-mediated analgesia and tolerability, including constipation. Moreover, due to the bidirectional crosstalk between gut bacteria and the central nervous system, gut dysbiosis may be crucial in modulating opioid reward and addictive behavior. The microbiota may also modulate pain regulation and tolerance, by activating microglial cells and inducing the release of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, which sustain neuroinflammation. In the subset of cancer patients, the clinical meaning of opioid-induced gut dysbiosis, particularly its possible interference with the efficacy of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, is still unclear. Gut dysbiosis could be a new target for treatment in cancer patients. Restoring the physiological amount of specific gut bacteria may represent a promising therapeutic option for managing gastrointestinal symptoms and optimizing analgesia for cancer patients using opioids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flaminia Coluzzi
- Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy
- Unit of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care, and Pain Medicine, Sant’Andrea University Hospital, 00189 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Sole Scerpa
- Unit of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care, and Pain Medicine, Sant’Andrea University Hospital, 00189 Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Loffredo
- Unit of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care, and Pain Medicine, Sant’Andrea University Hospital, 00189 Rome, Italy
| | - Marina Borro
- Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sense Organs NESMOS, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Elisa Alessandri
- Unit of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care, and Pain Medicine, Sant’Andrea University Hospital, 00189 Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Simmaco
- Unit of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care, and Pain Medicine, Sant’Andrea University Hospital, 00189 Rome, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sense Organs NESMOS, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Monica Rocco
- Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy
- Unit of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care, and Pain Medicine, Sant’Andrea University Hospital, 00189 Rome, Italy
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Lin Q, Guan SW, Yu HB. Immuno-oncology-microbiome axis of gastrointestinal malignancy. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2023; 15:757-775. [PMID: 37275452 PMCID: PMC10237027 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v15.i5.757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on the relationship between the microbiome and cancer has been controversial for centuries. Recent works have discovered that the intratumor microbiome is an important component of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Intratumor bacteria, the most studied intratumor microbiome, are mainly localized in tumor cells and immune cells. As the largest bacterial reservoir in human body, the gut microbiome may be one of the sources of the intratumor microbiome in gastrointestinal malignancies. An increasing number of studies have shown that the gut and intratumor microbiome play an important role in regulating the immune tone of tumors. Moreover, it has been recently proposed that the gut and intratumor microbiome can influence tumor progression by modulating host metabolism and the immune and immune tone of the TME, which is defined as the immuno-oncology-microbiome (IOM) axis. The proposal of the IOM axis provides a new target for the tumor microbiome and tumor immunity. This review aims to reveal the mechanism and progress of the gut and intratumor microbiome in gastrointestinal malignancies such as esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer by exploring the IOM axis. Providing new insights into the research related to gastrointestinal malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Lin
- Department of Surgery, Wenzhou Central Hospital, The Dingli Clinical Institute of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Shi-Wei Guan
- Department of Surgery, Wenzhou Central Hospital, The Dingli Clinical Institute of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Hai-Bo Yu
- Department of Surgery, Wenzhou Central Hospital, The Dingli Clinical Institute of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China
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Gandini A, Puglisi S, Pirrone C, Martelli V, Catalano F, Nardin S, Seeber A, Puccini A, Sciallero S. The role of immunotherapy in microsatellites stable metastatic colorectal cancer: state of the art and future perspectives. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1161048. [PMID: 37207140 PMCID: PMC10189007 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1161048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, despite several advances has been achieved in last decades. Few prognostic and predictive biomarkers guide therapeutic choice in metastatic CRC (mCRC), among which DNA mismatch repair deficiency and/or microsatellite instability (dMMR/MSI) holds a crucial role. Tumors characterized by dMMR/MSI benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors. However, most of the mCRC patients (around 95%) are microsatellite stable (MSS), thereby intrinsically resistant to immunotherapy. This represents a clear unmet need for more effective treatments in this population of patients. In this review, we aim to analyze immune-resistance mechanisms and therapeutic strategies to overcome them, such as combinations of immunotherapy and chemotherapy, radiotherapy or target therapies specifically in MSS mCRC. We also explored both available and potential biomarkers that may better select MSS mCRC patients for immunotherapy. Lastly, we provide a brief overview on future perspectives in this field, such as the gut microbiome and its potential role as immunomodulator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalice Gandini
- Medical Oncology Unit 1, IRCCS - Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Silvia Puglisi
- Medical Oncology Unit 1, IRCCS - Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Chiara Pirrone
- Medical Oncology Unit 1, IRCCS - Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Valentino Martelli
- Medical Oncology Unit 1, IRCCS - Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Fabio Catalano
- Medical Oncology Unit 1, IRCCS - Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Simone Nardin
- Medical Oncology Unit 1, IRCCS - Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Andreas Seeber
- Department of Haematology and Oncology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Alberto Puccini
- Medical Oncology Unit 1, IRCCS - Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Humanitas Cancer Center, Medical Oncology and Haematology Unit, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefania Sciallero
- Medical Oncology Unit 1, IRCCS - Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- *Correspondence: Stefania Sciallero,
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