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Review
. 2023 May 8;11(5):1240.
doi: 10.3390/microorganisms11051240.

Microbiota Regulates Pancreatic Cancer Carcinogenesis through Altered Immune Response

Yihan Chai  1 , Zhengze Huang  1 , Xuqiu Shen  1 , Tianyu Lin  1 , Yiyin Zhang  1 , Xu Feng  1 , Qijiang Mao  1   2   3 , Yuelong Liang  1   3
Affiliations
Review

Microbiota Regulates Pancreatic Cancer Carcinogenesis through Altered Immune Response

Yihan Chai et al. Microorganisms. .

Abstract

The microbiota is present in many parts of the human body and plays essential roles. The most typical case is the occurrence and development of cancer. Pancreatic cancer (PC), one of the most aggressive and lethal types of cancer, has recently attracted the attention of researchers. Recent research has revealed that the microbiota regulates PC carcinogenesis via an altered immune response. Specifically, the microbiota, in several sites, including the oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract, and pancreatic tissue, along with the numerous small molecules and metabolites it produces, influences cancer progression and treatment by activating oncogenic signaling, enhancing oncogenic metabolic pathways, altering cancer cell proliferation, and triggering chronic inflammation that suppresses tumor immunity. Diagnostics and treatments based on or in combination with the microbiota offer novel insights to improve efficiency compared with existing therapies.

Keywords: immunomodulation; inflammation; microbiome; microbiota; pancreatic cancer.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Specific microbiota associated with PC, whose abundances increase, decrease, or we are unsure. Fusobacterium and Streptococcus mitis are typical oral microbiota related to PC. Gamma-proteobacteria were the predominant bacteria that were first identified in human pancreatic cancer tissues. The gastrointestinal microbiota, including H. pylori and HBV, were demonstrated to be involved in PC. Notably, Lactobacillus and Actinobacteria exist in the colon, demonstrated to be related to PC.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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