Involvement of Fusobacterium nucleatum in malignancies except for colorectal cancer: A literature review

Abstract

Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) is originally an oral opportunistic pathogen and accumulating evidence links the presence of F. nucleatum with the pathogenicity, development, and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, only limited preliminary data is available dealing with the role of F. nucleatum in other malignancies except for CRC. The present review aims to update and systematize the latest information about the mechanisms of F. nucleatum-mediating carcinogenesis, together with the detection rates, clinicopathological, and molecular features in F. nucleatum-associated malignancies. Comparing with adjacent non-tumorous tissue, previous studies have shown an overabundance of intratumoural F. nucleatum. Although the prognostic role of F. nucleatum is still controversial, a higher prevalence of F. nucleatum was usually associated with a more advanced tumor stage and a worse overall survival. Preliminary evidence have shown that epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and relevant inflammation and immune response aroused by F. nucleatum may be the probable link between F. nucleatum infection and the initiation of oral/head and neck cancer. Further studies are needed to elucidate the etiologic role of the specific microbiota and the connection between the extent of periodontitis and carcinogenesis in different tumor types. The mechanisms of how the antibiotics exerts the critical role in the carcinogenesis and antitumor effects in malignancies other than CRC need to be further explored.

Global status and trends of gastric cancer and gastric microbiota research: a bibliometric analysis

“…Through emergent analysis, we can speculate that the role of Fusobacterium nucleatum ( F. nucleatum ) in the Correa cascade of GC development may become a research hotspot in the future. Fusobacterium nucleatum , which exists in the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract of humans, is an opportunistic pathogen causing systematic diseases, for example, gastrointestinal cancers ( Chen et al, 2022 ; He Z. et al, 2022 ). A number of studies have demonstrated the potential pathogenic role of F. nucleatum in colorectal cancer (CRC; Lee et al, 2019 ).…”

The Oral Microbiome as Mediator between Oral Hygiene and Its Impact on Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

“…Furthermore, the disturbance of the oral microbiome may indirectly promote the occurrence and development of cancers by causing persistent chronic inflammation and suppressing immune response [ 50 , 51 ]. Several studies have shown that the periodontal pathogen Fusobacterium nucleatum might increase the risk of head and neck cancers by indirect carcinogenic effects [ 52 , 53 ]. A recent study revealed that CD8 + T infiltration was decreased in NPC tumor tissues with high bacterial load, indicating that the microbiome may influence NPC by modulating the immune microenvironment [ 54 ].…”

Role of Gut Microbiota in Breast Cancer and Drug Resistance

“…F. nucleatum has been shown to promote breast tumor growth and metastatic progression, possibly by preventing the accumulation of tumor-infiltrating T cells in the tumor microenvironment and colonizing breast tumors through D-galactose-β(1–3)-N-acetyl -D-galactosamine (Gal -GalNAc) which binds to Fap2, a surface lectin from F. nucleatum, involved in the colonization of breast cancer. Furthermore, antibiotic therapy with metronidazole suppresses F. nucleatum -induced breast tumor aggravation, indicating that targeting F. nucleatum may enhance breast cancer treatment [ 27 ]. In another detailed study, Parida et al reported that toxin-producing strains of Bacteroides fragilis , when present in the gut or breast tissue, could increase the aggressiveness of breast cancers, induce self-renewal in breast cancer cells and initiate metastatic dissemination to distant organs [ 10 ].…”