Association between oral microbiome and seven types of cancers in East Asian population: a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis

Microbiome composition and metabolic pathways in shallow and deep periodontal pockets

In periodontal diseases, a dysbiotic subgingival microbiome interacts complexly with the host immune response and is strongly considered a risk factor for various systemic conditions. The high prevalence of both periodontal and systemic diseases in older adults highlights the importance of characterizing the subgingival microbiome in this age group. This study specifically characterizes the composition of the subgingival microbiome and investigates the interactions between microbial niches in shallow and deep periodontal pockets in individuals in their early 70s. We collected 1928 samples from 1287 participants, all born between 1950 and 1951. Participants had either shallow (≤ 4 mm) periodontal pockets or both shallow and deep (≥ 5 mm) periodontal pockets. Distinct microbial patterns were observed in shallow and deep periodontal pockets within the same oral cavity. Deep pockets exhibited a significantly higher abundance of species from genera such as Prevotella, Centipeda, Treponema, and Fusobacterium, while shallow pockets were enriched with species from Actinomyces, Pauljensenia, Streptococcus, and Gemella. The top significant species associated with deep pockets included Fretibacterium fastidiosum, Tannerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola, whereas shallow pockets were predominantly associated with Actinomyces species and Rothia dentocariosa. Additionally, shallow pockets in individuals with both pocket types showed a positive association with Tannerella forsythia, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Fusobacterium nucleatum compared to shallow pockets in individuals with only shallow pockets. Metabolic pathways showed significant variation with pocket depth, with pathways such as lipopolysaccharide metabolism, lipid metabolism, and polyamine biosynthesis being positively associated with deep pockets. Overall, this study provides comprehensive microbiome analyses of periodontal pockets in aging adults, contributing to a better understanding of periodontal health and its potential impact on reducing systemic health risks in aging populations.

NK Cell-Microbiota Interaction Biomarker Strategy: Advancing Prostate Cancer Management

The role of natural killer (NK) cells in the management of prostate cancer (PCa) remains incompletely understood. Some have proposed that measuring NK cells in blood samples could serve as a reliable, minimally invasive tool for screening, assessing treatment effects, and predicting survival outcomes in PCa patients. However, the significance of different NK cell phenotypes remains unclear. Given the interplay between NK cells and the microbiome, we hypothesize that a combined signature of NK cell phenotypes derived from blood, along with microbiome profiles from oral, urine, and stool samples, could serve as a surrogate marker for NK cell activity in tumor and its microenvironment. Such an approach provides a practical alternative to invasive tumor biopsies by enabling the indirect assessment of NK cell function in tumors. Additionally, profiling NK cell phenotypes and their interactions with the microbiota has the potential to enhance prognostic accuracy and guide the development of personalized therapeutic strategies. Prospective studies are needed to validate the utility of NK cell and microbiome assays in personalized PCa management, with a focus on minimally invasive procedures and predictive signatures for treatment outcomes.

Causal Exposures in Pancreatic Cancer Incidence: Insights From Mendelian Randomization Studies

Aim

Pancreatic cancer, marked by its high lethality and poor 5-year survival rate, requires a thorough understanding of its risk factors and etiological mechanisms. In this review, we collected the latest findings from Mendelian randomization (MR) studies to identify potential causal factors for pancreatic cancer.

Method and Results

The present analysis encompasses MR studies on the gut and oral microbiomes, non-malignant phenotypes, blood metabolites, immune cells, and chronic inflammation. Specific gut and oral microbiome species have been identified as potential causal factors for pancreatic cancer, some with protective effects, and others increasing the risk. The review also highlights causal associations between obesity, type 2 diabetes, and pancreatic cancer, as well as the impact of blood metabolites and immune cell phenotypes on disease risk. Additionally, it investigates the causal effects of inflammatory bowel disease, showing a significant risk increase associated with Crohn's disease.

Conclusion

These insights emphasize the need for interdisciplinary research and personalized medicine to enhance prevention and treatment strategies for pancreatic cancer.

Polyp and tumor microenvironment reprogramming in colorectal cancer: insights from mucosal bacteriome and metabolite crosstalk

BACKGROUND

Highly frequent colorectal cancer (CRC) is predicted to have 3.2 million novel cases by 2040. Tumor microenvironment (TME) bacteriome and metabolites are proposed to be involved in CRC development. In this regard, we aimed to investigate the bacteriome and metabolites of healthy, adenomatous polyp, and CRC tissues.

METHODS

Sixty samples including healthy (H), adenomatous polyps (AP), adenomatous polyps-adjacent (APA), cancer tumor (CT), and cancer tumor-adjacent (CA) tissues were collected and analyzed by 16 S rRNA sequencing and 1H NMR spectroscopy.

RESULTS

Our results revealed that the bacteriome and metabolites of the H, AP, and CT groups were significantly different. We observed that the Lachnospiraceae family depleted concomitant with acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB) accumulations in the AP tissues. In addition, some bacterial species including Gemella morbillorum, and Morganella morganii were enriched in the AP compared to the H group. Furthermore, fumarate was accumulated concomitant to Aeromonas enteropelogenes, Aeromonas veronii, and Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. animalis increased abundance in the CT compared to the H group.

CONCLUSION

These results proposed that beneficial bacteria including the Lachnospiraceae family depletion cross-talk with acetoacetate and BHB accumulations followed by an increased abundance of driver bacteria including G. morbillorum, and M. morganii may reprogram polyp microenvironment leading to tumor initiation. Consequently, passenger bacteria accumulation like A. enteropelogenes, A.veronii, and F. nucleatum subsp. animalis cross-talking fumarate in the TME may aggravate cancer development. So, knowledge of TME bacteriome and metabolites might help in cancer prevention, early diagnosis, and a good prognosis.

A causal association between esophageal cancer and the oral microbiome: a Mendelian randomization study based on an Asian population

Background

Previous studies have suggested a crosstalk between the oral microbiome and esophageal cancer (EC), but the exact relationship is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between changes in the oral microbiome and EC by Mendelian randomization (MR).

Materials and methods

In the study, bidirectional MR analyses were conducted using genome-wide association study data from the oral microbiomes from the 4D-SZ cohort and EC data from the BioBank Japan cohort. Multiple sensitivity tests, including Cochrane's Q statistic, MR-Egger intercept, and MR-PRESSO, were used to assess and validate the relative stability of the resulting data at various levels.

Results

Among the 3,117 samples studied, 73 oral microbiomes were found to be statistically causally associated with EC, 38 of which were considered protective factors. According to species analyses, positive results were concentrated in three phyla: Firmicutes (29 species), Patescibacteria (18 species), and Actinobacteria (9 species). It was also determined that Parvimonas micra, Aggregatibacter, and Clostridia had a negative causal relationship, implying that EC caused a decrease in the counts. Following p-value correction, periodonticum_C, unclassified_mgs_3234, and unclassified_mgs_45 were identified as having a strong evidence-grade causal relationship with EC. There was no strong evidence in the results of the inverse MR analyses of EC to the oral microbiome. The sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the findings.

Conclusion

This study discovered a bidirectional causal relationship between the oral microbiome and EC, which may provide new insights into the future use of the microbiome for early screening and probiotic therapy.

Non-invasive diagnostic test for lung cancer using biospectroscopy and variable selection techniques in saliva samples

Lung cancer is one of the most commonly occurring malignant tumours worldwide. Although some reference methods such as X-ray, computed tomography or bronchoscope are widely used for clinical diagnosis of lung cancer, there is still a need to develop new methods for early detection of lung cancer. Especially needed are approaches that might be non-invasive and fast with high analytical precision and statistically reliable. Herein, we developed a swab "dip" test in saliva whereby swabs were analysed using attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy harnessed to principal component analysis-quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) and variable selection techniques employing successive projections algorithm (SPA) and genetic algorithm (GA) for feature selection/extraction combined with QDA. A total of 1944 saliva samples (56 designated as lung-cancer positive and 1888 designed as controls) were obtained in a lung cancer-screening programme being undertaken in North-West England. GA-QDA models achieved, for the test set, sensitivity and specificity values of 100.0% and 99.1%, respectively. Three wavenumbers (1422 cm-1, 1546 cm-1 and 1578 cm-1) were identified using the GA-QDA model to distinguish between lung cancer and controls, including ring C-C stretching, CN adenine, Amide II [δ(NH), ν(CN)] and νs(COO-) (polysaccharides, pectin). These findings highlight the potential of using biospectroscopy associated with multivariate classification algorithms to discriminate between benign saliva samples and those with underlying lung cancer.

Breast Cancer: Extracellular Matrix and Microbiome Interactions

Breast cancer represents the most prevalent form of cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality among females worldwide. It has been reported that several risk factors contribute to the appearance and progression of this disease. Despite the advancements in breast cancer treatment, a significant portion of patients with distant metastases still experiences no cure. The extracellular matrix represents a potential target for enhanced serum biomarkers in breast cancer. Furthermore, extracellular matrix degradation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition constitute the primary stages of local invasion during tumorigenesis. Additionally, the microbiome has a potential influence on diverse physiological processes. It is emerging that microbial dysbiosis is a significant element in the development and progression of various cancers, including breast cancer. Thus, a better understanding of extracellular matrix and microbiome interactions could provide novel alternatives to breast cancer treatment and management. In this review, we summarize the current evidence regarding the intricate relationship between breast cancer with the extracellular matrix and the microbiome. We discuss the arising associations and future perspectives in this field.

Research progress on the microbiota in bladder cancer tumors

The microbiota, also referred to as the microbial community, is a crucial component of the human microenvironment. It is located predominantly in various organs, including the intestines, skin, oral cavity, respiratory tract, and reproductive tract. The microbiota maintains a symbiotic relationship with the human body, influencing physiological and pathological functions to a significant degree. There is increasing evidence linking the microbial flora to human cancers. In contrast to the traditional belief that the urethra and urine of normal individuals are sterile, recent advancements in high-throughput sequencing technology and bacterial cultivation methods have led to the discovery of specific microbial communities in the urethras of healthy individuals. Given the prevalence of bladder cancer (BCa) as a common malignancy of the urinary system, researchers have shifted their focus to exploring the connection between disease development and the unique microbial community within tumors. This shift has led to a deeper investigation into the role of microbiota in the onset, progression, metastasis, prognosis, and potential for early detection of BCa. This article reviews the existing research on the microbiota within BCa tumors and summarizes the findings regarding the roles of different microbes in various aspects of this disease.