Background: Dysbiosis of the intestinal flora has emerged as an oncogenic contributor in different malignancies. Recent findings suggest a crucial tumor-promoting role of micro- and mycobiome alterations also in the development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).
Methods: To summarize the current knowledge about this topic, a systematic literature search of articles published until October 2020 was performed in MEDLINE (PubMed).
Results: An increasing number of publications describe associations between bacterial and fungal species and PDAC development. Despite the high inter-individual variability of the commensal flora, some studies identify specific microbial signatures in PDAC patients, including oral commensals like Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum or Gram-negative bacteria like Proteobacteria. The role of Helicobacter spp. remains unclear. Recent isolation of Malassezia globosa from PDAC tissue suggest also the mycobiota as a crucial player of tumorigenesis. Based on described molecular mechanisms and interactions between the pancreatic tissue and the immune system this review proposes a model of how the micro- and the mycobial dysbiosis could contribute to tumorigenesis in PDAC.
Conclusions: The presence of micro- and mycobial dysbiosis in pancreatic tumor tissue opens a fascinating perspective on PDAC oncogenesis. Further studies will pave the way for novel tumor markers and treatment strategies.
Keywords: Malassezia; Proteobacteria; immunosuppression; inflammation; microbiome; mycobiome; pancreatic cancer; tumor initiation; tumor progression.