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Review
. 2019 Apr 2;10(4):270.
doi: 10.3390/genes10040270.

Host⁻MicroRNA⁻Microbiota Interactions in Colorectal Cancer

Ce Yuan  1   2 , Clifford J Steer  3   4 , Subbaya Subramanian  5   6
Affiliations
Review

Host⁻MicroRNA⁻Microbiota Interactions in Colorectal Cancer

Ce Yuan et al. Genes (Basel). .

Abstract

Changes in gut microbiota composition have consistently been observed in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Yet, it is not entirely clear how the gut microbiota interacts with tumor cells. We know that tumor cells undergo a drastic change in energy metabolism, mediated by microRNAs (miRNAs), and that tumor-derived miRNAs affect the stromal and immune cell fractions of the tumor microenvironment. Recent studies suggest that host intestinal miRNAs can also affect the growth and composition of the gut microbiota. Our previous CRC studies showed a high-level of interconnectedness between host miRNAs and their microbiota. Considering all the evidence to date, we postulate that the altered nutrient composition and miRNA expression in the CRC microenvironment selectively exerts pressure on the surrounding microbiota, leading to alterations in its composition. In this review article, we present our current understanding of the role of miRNAs in mediating host-microbiota interactions in CRC.

Keywords: colorectal cancer; gut microbiota; metabolic interactions; microRNAs.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Host–microRNA–microbiota interactions in colorectal cancer. Microbiota composition has a functional effect on the cancer cells, via stromal and tumor infiltrating immune cells by regulating various cellular process (1). Microbial-metabolites and other secreted factors affect miRNA/gene expression profiles in cells present in the tumor microenvironment. In turn, tumor cells affect the microbiota composition of the stromal and tumor infiltrating immune cells through shedding of epithelial cells and/or secreting extracellular vesicles (EVs) containing miRNAs (2). The tumor-miRNAs alter the microbiota composition by affecting the gene expression of the microbiota and by delivering cancer-secreted metabolites (3). The tumor-derived miRNAs also have a role in regulating stromal and tumor infiltrating immune cells by affecting gene expression through miRNAs delivered in EVs (4). Such interactions will finally create a favorable microenvironment for tumor cells that include angiogenesis, immune evasion, and microbiota composition (5).
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