The Microbiome and Cancer

The microbiome is that collection of stuff we carry around in our guts. Most of us never really think much about this but it turns out to have significant impacts on cancers. After a bit of thought it becomes clear why.

In a recent paper by Fullbright et al they have done a wonderful job on describing some of these effects. They conclude:

The densest populations of endogenous microbes are found within the intestines and are in close proximity to the epithelium and underlying mucosal immune system. As a result, the earliest observations linking the microbiota with the hallmarks of cancer have primarily focused on gastric cancers and CRC. Nonetheless, more recent studies have also implicated the microbiota in cancers at distal sites as a potential predictor of successful response to cancer therapy and as a means to augment the efficacy of existing anticancer therapeutics. Furthermore, the well-established link between several viruses and human cancers (i.e., Human papillomavirus and cervical, genital, anal, and oral cancers; Epstein-Barr virus and lymphomas; hepatitis C virus and hepatocellular carcinoma; Kaposi’s sarcoma–associated herpesvirus and Kaposi’s sarcoma) provides a strong rationale to investigate the role of nonbacterial members of the microbiota (virus, fungi, and archaea) in modulating the hallmark capabilities and cancer development. Finally, the cancer microenvironment itself can enhance the procarcinogenic activities of the microbiota, which further demonstrates the importance of the crosstalk between host and microbe in modulating cancer progression. In summary, because of the extensive capacity of the microbiota to influence many hallmarks of cancer, treatment for a variety of cancers may soon involve personalized medicine targeting the microbiota.

This is definitely worth following as we understand more regarding this complex environment.