Influence of microbiota on immunity and immunotherapy for gastric and esophageal cancers

Abstract Gastric and esophageal cancers are multifactorial and multistage-involved malignancy. While the impact of gut microbiota on overall human health and diseases has been well documented, the influence of gastric and esophageal microbiota on gastric and esophageal cancers remains unclear. This review will discuss the reported alteration in the composition of gastric and esophageal microbiota in normal and disease conditions, and the potential role of dysbiosis in carcinogenesis and tumorigenesis. This review will also discuss how dysbiosis stimulates local and systemic immunity, which may impact on the immunotherapy for cancer.

Download Full-text

The Role of Diet, Micronutrients and the Gut Microbiota in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: New Perspectives from the Gut-Retina Axis

10.20944/preprints201810.0369.v1 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Emanuele Rinninella ◽

Maria Cristina Mele ◽

Nicolò Merendino ◽

Marco Cintoni ◽

Gaia Anselmi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Macular Degeneration ◽

Potential Role ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽

Low Grade ◽

Age Related ◽

The Impact ◽

Low Grade Inflammation

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a complex multifactorial disease and the primary cause of legal and irreversible blindness among individuals aged >=65 years in developed countries. Globally, it affects 30-50 million individuals, with an estimated increase of approximately 200 million by 2020 and approximately 300 million by 2040. Currently, the neovascular form may be able to be treated with the use of anti-VEGF drugs, while no effective treatments are available for the dry form. Many observational studies, such as AREDS-1 and AREDS 2, have shown a potential role of micronutrient supplementation in lowering the risk of progression of the early stages of AMD. Recently, low-grade inflammation, sustained by dysbiosis and a leaky gut, has been shown to contribute to the development of AMD. Given the ascertained influence of the gut microbiota in systemic low-grade inflammation and its potential modulation by macro- and micro-nutrients, a potential role of diet in AMD has been proposed. This review discusses the role of the gut microbiota in the development of AMD. Using PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus, we searched for recent scientific evidence discussing the impact of dietary habits (high fat and high glucose or fructose diets), micronutrients (vitamins C, E, and D, zinc, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin) and omega-3 fatty acids on the modulation of the gut microbiota and their relationship with AMD risk and progression.

Download Full-text

The Role of Diet, Micronutrients and the Gut Microbiota in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: New Perspectives from the Gut–Retina Axis

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu10111677 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 1677 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Emanuele Rinninella ◽

Maria Mele ◽

Nicolò Merendino ◽

Marco Cintoni ◽

Gaia Anselmi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Macular Degeneration ◽

Potential Role ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽

Low Grade ◽

Age Related ◽

The Impact ◽

Low Grade Inflammation

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a complex multifactorial disease and the primary cause of legal and irreversible blindness among individuals aged ≥65 years in developed countries. Globally, it affects 30–50 million individuals, with an estimated increase of approximately 200 million by 2020 and approximately 300 million by 2040. Currently, the neovascular form may be able to be treated with the use of anti-VEGF drugs, while no effective treatments are available for the dry form. Many studies, such as the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) and AREDS 2, have shown a potential role of micronutrient supplementation in lowering the risk of progression of the early stages of AMD. Recently, low-grade inflammation, sustained by dysbiosis and a leaky gut, has been shown to contribute to the development of AMD. Given the ascertained influence of the gut microbiota in systemic low-grade inflammation and its potential modulation by macro- and micro-nutrients, a potential role of diet in AMD has been proposed. This review discusses the role of the gut microbiota in the development of AMD. Using PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus, we searched for recent scientific evidence discussing the impact of dietary habits (high-fat and high-glucose or -fructose diets), micronutrients (vitamins C, E, and D, zinc, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin) and omega-3 fatty acids on the modulation of the gut microbiota and their relationship with AMD risk and progression.

Download Full-text

Role of Nutraceuticals in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention: A Review in the Indian Context

Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research ◽

10.37290/ctnr2641-452x.19:139-145 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 139-145

Author(s):

Sheena Chhabra ◽

Apurva Bakshi ◽

Ravineet Kaur

Keyword(s):

Health Promotion ◽

Disease Prevention ◽

Human Health ◽

Health Issues ◽

Scholarly Literature ◽

Indian Context ◽

The Impact ◽

Immense Potential ◽

Specific Health

Nutraceuticals have been around for quite some time. As the nomenclature suggests, they are placed somewhere between food (nutra-) and medicine (-ceuticals) in terms of their impact on human health. Researches have focused on the impact of various types of nutraceuticals on health, their efficacy in health promotion and disease prevention, and often on suitable uses of certain categories of nutraceuticals for specific health issues. However, we are still far from utilizing the immense potential of nutraceuticals for benefiting human health in a substantial manner. We review the available scholarly literature regarding the role of nutraceuticals in health promotion, their efficacy in disease prevention and the perception of nutraceuticals' health benefits by consumers. Thereafter we analyze the need for regulation of nutraceuticals and various provisions regarding the same.

Download Full-text

Guild-based analysis for understanding gut microbiome in human health and diseases

Genome Medicine ◽

10.1186/s13073-021-00840-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Guojun Wu ◽

Naisi Zhao ◽

Chenhong Zhang ◽

Yan Y. Lam ◽

Liping Zhao

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Human Health ◽

Gut Microbiome ◽

Association Studies ◽

Causative Role ◽

Disease Phenotypes ◽

Genetic Complexity ◽

Causative Agents ◽

Specific Health

AbstractTo demonstrate the causative role of gut microbiome in human health and diseases, we first need to identify, via next-generation sequencing, potentially important functional members associated with specific health outcomes and disease phenotypes. However, due to the strain-level genetic complexity of the gut microbiota, microbiome datasets are highly dimensional and highly sparse in nature, making it challenging to identify putative causative agents of a particular disease phenotype. Members of an ecosystem seldomly live independently from each other. Instead, they develop local interactions and form inter-member organizations to influence the ecosystem’s higher-level patterns and functions. In the ecological study of macro-organisms, members are defined as belonging to the same “guild” if they exploit the same class of resources in a similar way or work together as a coherent functional group. Translating the concept of “guild” to the study of gut microbiota, we redefine guild as a group of bacteria that show consistent co-abundant behavior and likely to work together to contribute to the same ecological function. In this opinion article, we discuss how to use guilds as the aggregation unit to reduce dimensionality and sparsity in microbiome-wide association studies for identifying candidate gut bacteria that may causatively contribute to human health and diseases.

Download Full-text

Insights into the Impact of Microbiota in the Treatment of NAFLD/NASH and Its Potential as a Biomarker for Prognosis and Diagnosis

Biomedicines ◽

10.3390/biomedicines9020145 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 145

Author(s):

Julio Plaza-Díaz ◽

Patricio Solis-Urra ◽

Jerónimo Aragón-Vela ◽

Fernando Rodríguez-Rodríguez ◽

Jorge Olivares-Arancibia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation ◽

Liver Steatosis ◽

Intestinal Barrier ◽

Fecal Microbiota ◽

Current Treatment ◽

Immune Defense ◽

Alcoholic Fatty Liver ◽

The Impact

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an increasing cause of chronic liver illness associated with obesity and metabolic disorders, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, or type 2 diabetes mellitus. A more severe type of NAFLD, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is considered an ongoing global health threat and dramatically increases the risks of cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Several reports have demonstrated that liver steatosis is associated with the elevation of certain clinical and biochemical markers but with low predictive potential. In addition, current imaging methods are inaccurate and inadequate for quantification of liver steatosis and do not distinguish clearly between the microvesicular and the macrovesicular types. On the other hand, an unhealthy status usually presents an altered gut microbiota, associated with the loss of its functions. Indeed, NAFLD pathophysiology has been linked to lower microbial diversity and a weakened intestinal barrier, exposing the host to bacterial components and stimulating pathways of immune defense and inflammation via toll-like receptor signaling. Moreover, this activation of inflammation in hepatocytes induces progression from simple steatosis to NASH. In the present review, we aim to: (a) summarize studies on both human and animals addressed to determine the impact of alterations in gut microbiota in NASH; (b) evaluate the potential role of such alterations as biomarkers for prognosis and diagnosis of this disorder; and (c) discuss the involvement of microbiota in the current treatment for NAFLD/NASH (i.e., bariatric surgery, physical exercise and lifestyle, diet, probiotics and prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation).

Download Full-text

Gut microbiota influence in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)

Gut Pathogens ◽

10.1186/s13099-021-00446-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Author(s):

A. L. Cunningham ◽

J. W. Stephens ◽

D. A. Harris

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Potential Role ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Human Metabolism ◽

Altered Glucose

AbstractA strong and expanding evidence base supports the influence of gut microbiota in human metabolism. Altered glucose homeostasis is associated with altered gut microbiota, and is clearly associated with the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and associated complications. Understanding the causal association between gut microbiota and metabolic risk has the potential role of identifying susceptible individuals to allow early targeted intervention.

Download Full-text

Speciation and changes in male gene expression in Drosophila

Genome ◽

10.1139/gen-2020-0025 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Bahar Patlar ◽

Alberto Civetta

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Reproductive Isolation ◽

Potential Role ◽

Regulation Of Gene Expression ◽

Drosophila Model ◽

Depth Analysis ◽

The Impact ◽

Plastic Responses ◽

Male Gene

It has long been acknowledged that changes in the regulation of gene expression may account for major organismal differences. However, we still do not fully understand how changes in gene expression evolve and how do such changes influence organisms’ differences. We are even less aware of the impact such changes might have in restricting gene flow between species. Here, we focus on studies of gene expression and speciation in the Drosophila model. We review studies that have identified gene interactions in post-mating reproductive isolation and speciation, particularly those that modulate male gene expression. We also address studies that have experimentally manipulated changes in gene expression to test their effect in post-mating reproductive isolation. We highlight the need for a more in-depth analysis of the role of selection causing disrupted gene expression of such candidate genes in sterile/inviable hybrids. Moreover, we discuss the relevance to incorporate more routinely assays that simultaneously evaluate the potential effects of environmental factors and genetic background in modulating plastic responses in male genes and their potential role in speciation.

Download Full-text

Inhibitory Effect of MicroRNA-376b-Overexpressing Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BMSCs) on Malignant Characteristics of Glioma Cells Through Targeting Forkhead Box Protein P2 (FOXP2)

Journal of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering ◽

10.1166/jbt.2022.2999 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 971-977

Author(s):

Ruoyu Zhu ◽

Zhonglin Wang

Keyword(s):

Glioma Cell ◽

Potential Role ◽

Glioma Cells ◽

Inhibitory Effect ◽

Transwell Assay ◽

Cell Behaviors ◽

Forkhead Box ◽

Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells ◽

The Impact

This study investigated the impact of microRNA (miR)-376b derived from BMSCs on glioma progression. BMSCs were transfected with miR-376b mimic, miR-376b inhibitor or NC and then cocultured with glioma cells followed by measuring cell behaviors by MTT assay, Transwell assay and flow cytometry, FOXP2 and miR-376b expression by Western blot and RT-qPCR. After confirming the inhibitory and mimicking activity of transfection, we found that overexpression of miR-376b in BMSCs decreased glioma cell invasion, migration and proliferation but promoted cell apoptosis within 24 h and 48 h after transfection along with reduced number of cells in S-phase. Mechanically, miR-376b targeted miR-376b and up-regulation of miR-376b caused down-regulation of FOXP2 (p < 0.05). Overexpression of miR-376b in BMSCs decelerated glioma cell cycle and inhibitedmalignant behaviors of glioma cells by targeting FOXP2 expression. These evidence unveils the potential role of FOXP2 as a biomarker for the treatment of gliomas.

Download Full-text