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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Oncol.
Sec. Head and Neck Cancer
Volume 14 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1453202
This article is part of the Research Topic The Role of the Microbiome in Head and Neck Cancer View all 4 articles

Gut Microbiome's Causal Role in Head and Neck Cancer: Findings from Mendelian Randomization

Provisionally accepted
Meng Lian Meng Lian 1*Minghong Sun Minghong Sun 2Boxuan Han Boxuan Han 1Ancha Baranova Ancha Baranova 3Hongbao Cao Hongbao Cao 3Fuquan Zhang Fuquan Zhang 4
  • 1 Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
  • 2 Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
  • 3 School of Systems Biology, College of Science, George Mason University, Manassas, United States
  • 4 Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Liaoning Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Introduction: The gut microbiome (GM) has been implicated in cancer pathogenesis and treatment, including head and neck cancers (HNC). However, the specific microbial compositions influencing HNC and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Methods: This study utilized published genome-wide association studies (GWAS) summary data-based two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to uncover the GM compositions that exert significant causal effects on HNC. Functional annotation and enrichment analysis were conducted to better understand the significant genetic variables and their connection with HNC. The HNC dataset included 2,281 cases and 314,193 controls. The GM GWAS data of 211 gut taxa (35 families, 20 orders, 16 classes, 9 phyla, and 131 genera) were obtained from the MibioGen consortium, involving 18,340 participants. Results: MR analysis revealed four GM compositions exerting causal effects on HNC. Specifically, family Peptococcaceae.id.2024 was significantly associated with a 35% reduced risk of HNC (OR=0.65; 95%CI=0.48-0.90; P=0.0080). In contrast, genus DefluviitaleaceaeUCG-011.id.11287 (OR=1.54; 95%CI=1.13-2.09; P=0.0060), genus Gordonibacter.id.821 (OR=1.23; 95%CI=1.05-1.45; P=0.012), and genus Methanobrevibacter.id.123 (OR=1.28; 95%CI=1.01-1.62; P=0.040) showed a significant association with an increased risk of HNC. These GMs interact with genes and genetic variants involved in signaling pathways, such as GTPase regulation, influencing tumor progression and disease prognosis. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates, for the first time, the causal influence of specific gut microbiome compositions on HNC, offering significant insights for advancing clinical research and personalized treatments. The identified GMs may serve as potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets, paving the way for innovative approaches in HNC diagnosis, prevention, and therapy.

    Keywords: gut microbiome, head and neck cancer, Mendelian randomization, Enrichment analysis, functional annotation

    Received: 22 Jun 2024; Accepted: 28 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Lian, Sun, Han, Baranova, Cao and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Meng Lian, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.