The gut dysbiosis-cancer axis: illuminating novel insights and implications for clinical practice

Amer H Asseri; Tahani Bakhsh; Samah Sulaiman Abuzahrah; Sajad Ali; Irfan A Rather

doi:10.3389/fphar.2023.1208044

The gut dysbiosis-cancer axis: illuminating novel insights and implications for clinical practice

Front Pharmacol. 2023 Jun 9:14:1208044. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1208044. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Amer H Asseri^{1

2}, Tahani Bakhsh³, Samah Sulaiman Abuzahrah³, Sajad Ali⁴, Irfan A Rather^{5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
² Center for Artificial Intelligence in Precision Medicines, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
³ Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Department of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Republic of Korea.
⁵ Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Centre of Excellence in Bionanoscience Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

The human intestinal microbiota, also known as the gut microbiota, comprises more than 100 trillion organisms, mainly bacteria. This number exceeds the host body cells by a factor of ten. The gastrointestinal tract, which houses 60%-80% of the host's immune cells, is one of the largest immune organs. It maintains systemic immune homeostasis in the face of constant bacterial challenges. The gut microbiota has evolved with the host, and its symbiotic state with the host's gut epithelium is a testament to this co-evolution. However, certain microbial subpopulations may expand during pathological interventions, disrupting the delicate species-level microbial equilibrium and triggering inflammation and tumorigenesis. This review highlights the impact of gut microbiota dysbiosis on the development and progression of certain types of cancers and discusses the potential for developing new therapeutic strategies against cancer by manipulating the gut microbiota. By interacting with the host microbiota, we may be able to enhance the effectiveness of anticancer therapies and open new avenues for improving patient outcomes.

Keywords: cancer; dysbiosis; gut; microbiome; tumorigenesis and progression.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This research work was funded by Institutional Fund Projects, under grant number (IFPRP:379-130-1442). Therefore, authors gratefully acknowledge technical and financial support from the Ministry of Education and King Abdulaziz University, DSR, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.