“Dysbiosis, conditions that result from an alteration of the delicate balance between the many components of intestinal microbiota, and cancer are two closely related entities; therefore, it is difficult to understand whether it may be dysbiosis that causes cancer or, vice versa, cancer that favors the development of a dysbiotic bacterial flora”. This is the focus of ‘Fermenti, the secret of life’, the fortnightly column edited by the immunologist Mauro Minelli under the aegis of the Foundation for Personalized Medicine and in collaboration with time.news Salute. “On the other hand, it should also be noted that the intestinal microbiota – continues Minelli – has influences on human health not only and not so much due to the simple presence of certain microbial families in excess or in defect with respect to a condition considered normal, but also and above all for its ability to produce metabolites, i.e. potentially toxic or inflammatory or carcinogenic substances which, by altering the physiological cellular functions, can contribute to the onset of neoplasms”.
In researching the causes of the onset and development of numerous pathologies, “including cancer, in addition to considering the relevance of genetic, environmental or voluptuous factors, we cannot therefore fail to include the influence of the microbiota in the various stages that lead to A strong impact on the microbial composition is certainly given by the diet – the immunologist recalls – the nutrients taken in with the diet modify the bacterial population by interfering with the physiological intestinal balance, which heavily interferes with the overall health conditions of the variously affected subjects, especially if the latter are affected by tumor pathologies.In this regard, we recall the now well-known link between the consumption of red meat and carcinogenesis, a link in which the microbiota certainly also intervenes with its ability to mediate the transformation of the group ‘ heme’ in inducer and facilitator of tumor events. Just as there is now very well documented evidence that identifies a ‘direct’ carcinogenic action in some bacteria”.
“This is the case, for example, of Helicobacter pylori which, finding favorable growth conditions in the stomach, is able to activate specific pathways of ‘oncogenic transduction’ which, passing through intermediate inflammatory states, in the most serious cases can lead to cancer – explains Minelli – Several other bacteria are potentially capable of causing direct damage to the DNA, favoring cell proliferation. Among these: Enterococcus faecalis, Bacteroides fragilis, Escherichia coli, Fusobacterium nucleatum. They act through complex oncogenic mechanisms in the which are variously involved toxins, cytokines, genotoxins in turn able to act negatively on specific genes that regulate the immune response (especially in its ‘innate’ component) and the inflammatory dynamics of the host”.
“In the light of the many scientific findings acquired, it can certainly be said today that the microbiota plays a key role in oncogenesis, also influencing the response to therapy due to its ability to modulate the response to drugs and in particular to immunochemotherapy, new important chapter in cancer therapy that has revolutionized the life expectancy of cancer patients”, concludes Paolo Marchetti, president of the Foundation for Personalized Medicine