Study of Microbiota Associated to Early Tumors Can Shed Light on Colon Carcinogenesis

Overview

Journal Int J Mol Sci

Publisher MDPI

Specialties Biochemistry
Chemistry
Molecular Biology

Date 2025 Jan 8

PMID 39769073

Authors

Anna Aspesi

Marta La Vecchia

Gloria Sala

Emilia Ghelardi

Irma Dianzani

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

An increasingly important role for gut microbiota in the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) has been described. Even in the early stages of transformation, i.e., colorectal adenomas, changes in gut microbiota composition have been observed, and several bacterial species, such as pks and enterotoxigenic , have been proposed to drive colon tumorigenesis. In recent years, several strategies have been developed to study mucosa-associated microbiota (MAM), which is more closely associated with CRC development than lumen-associated microbiota (LAM) derived from fecal samples. This review summarizes the state of the art about the oncogenic actions of gut bacteria and compares the different sampling strategies to collect intestinal microbiota (feces, biopsies, swabs, brushes, and washing aspirates). In particular, this article recapitulates the current knowledge on MAM in colorectal adenomas and serrated polyps, since studying the intestinal microbiota associated with early-stage tumors can elucidate the molecular mechanisms underpinning CRC carcinogenesis.

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