The Human Microbiome and Cancer
- 1 April 2017
- journal article
- review article
- Published by American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in Cancer Prevention Research
- Vol. 10 (4), 226-234
- https://doi.org/10.1158/1940-6207.capr-16-0249
Abstract
Recent scientific advances have significantly contributed to our understanding of the complex connection between the microbiome and cancer. Our bodies are continuously exposed to microbial cells, both resident and transient, as well as their byproducts, including toxic metabolites. Circulation of toxic metabolites may contribute to cancer onset or progression at locations distant from where a particular microbe resides. Moreover, microbes may migrate to other locations in the human body and become associated with tumor development. Several case–control metagenomics studies suggest that dysbiosis in the commensal microbiota is also associated with inflammatory disorders and various cancer types throughout the body. Although the microbiome influences carcinogenesis through mechanisms independent of inflammation and immune system, the most recognizable link is between the microbiome and cancer via the immune system, as the resident microbiota plays an essential role in activating, training, and modulating the host immune response. Immunologic dysregulation is likely to provide mechanistic explanations as to how our microbiome influences cancer development and cancer therapies. In this review, we discuss recent developments in understanding the human gut microbiome's relationship with cancer and the feasibility of developing novel cancer diagnostics based on microbiome profiles. Cancer Prev Res; 1–8. ©2017 AACR.Keywords
This publication has 96 references indexed in Scilit:
- Seroprevalence of Epstein-Barr Virus Infection in U.S. Children Ages 6-19, 2003-2010PLOS ONE, 2013
- A framework for human microbiome researchNature, 2012
- Promotion of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by the Intestinal Microbiota and TLR4Cancer Cell, 2012
- Evidence of a robust resident bacteriophage population revealed through analysis of the human salivary viromeThe ISME Journal, 2011
- Lack of Commensal Flora in Helicobacter pylori–Infected INS-GAS Mice Reduces Gastritis and Delays Intraepithelial NeoplasiaGastroenterology, 2011
- Intestinal Goblet Cells and Mucins in Health and Disease: Recent Insights and ProgressCurrent Gastroenterology Reports, 2010
- Helicobacter pylori: gastric cancer and beyondNature Reviews Cancer, 2010
- The curious case of the tumour virus: 50 years of Burkitt's lymphomaNature Reviews Microbiology, 2008
- A core gut microbiome in obese and lean twinsNature, 2008
- The global health burden of infection‐associated cancers in the year 2002International Journal of Cancer, 2006