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Current Cancer Drug Targets

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1568-0096
ISSN (Online): 1873-5576

Review Article

An Overview of the Dichotomous Role of Microbiota in Cancer Progression and Management

Author(s): Pooja Jain*, Sradhanjali Mohapatra, Uzma Farooq, Nazia Hassan, Mohd. Aamir Mirza* and Zeenat Iqbal*

Volume 25, Issue 1, 2025

Published on: 21 February, 2024

Page: [38 - 48] Pages: 11

DOI: 10.2174/0115680096282503240124104029

Price: $65

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Abstract

It is a well-known fact that cancer is considered the second leading cause of mortality across the globe. Although the human oral cavity and intestine are the natural habitat of thousands of microbes, dysbiosis results in malignancies, such as oral squamous cell carcinoma and colorectal cancer. Amongst the intestinal microbes, H. pylori is a deadly carcinogen. Also, causative pathogens for the development of pancreatic and colorectal cancer are found in the oral cavity, such as Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis. Many periodontopathic micro- organisms, like Streptococcus sp., Peptostreptococcus sp., Prevotella sp., Fusobacterium sp., Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Capnocytophaga gingivalis, strongly have an impact on the development of oral cancers. Three basic mechanisms are involved in pathogen-mediated cancer development, like chronic inflammation-mediated angiogenesis, inhibition of cellular apoptosis, and release of carcinogenic by-products. Microbiota has a dichotomous role to play in cancer, i.e., microbiota can be used for cancer management too. Shreds of evidence are there to support the fact that microbiota enhances the chemotherapeutic drug efficacy. This review presents the possible mechanism of the oncogenic effect of microbiota with emphasis on the oral microbiome and also attempts to explain the intricate role of microbiota in cancer management.

Keywords: Oral microbiota, dysbiosis, oral squamous cell carcinoma, colorectal cancer, angiogenesis, cellular apoptosis, chemotherapeutic drug efficacy.

Graphical Abstract

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