Exploring the Link between Helicobacter pylori, Gastric Microbiota and Gastric Cancer

Abstract

Gastric cancer (GC) still represents one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality and is a major public health issue worldwide. Understanding the etiopathogenetic mechanisms behind GC development holds immense potential to revolutionize patients' treatment and prognosis. Within the complex web of genetic predispositions and environmental factors, the connection between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and gastric microbiota emerges as a focus of intense research investigation. According to the most recent hypotheses, H. pylori triggers inflammatory responses and molecular alterations in gastric mucosa, while non-Helicobacter microbiota modulates disease progression. In this review, we analyze the current state of the literature on the relationship between H. pylori and non-Helicobacter gastric microbiota in gastric carcinogenesis, highlighting the mechanisms by which microecological dysbiosis can contribute to the malignant transformation of the mucosa.

Keywords: H. pylori; gastric cancer; gastric microbiota.

Figure 1

H. pylori and gastric microbiota alterations throughout the carcinogenic process. CG, chronic gastritis; CAG, chronic atrophic gastritis; IM, intestinal metaplasia. Gastric microbiota changes through the different steps of the carcinogenic cascade. GC-associated microbiota is enriched in species from the oral and intestinal microbial communities that may possess nitrosation functions.