The Human Microbiome Project identified the collection of human-associated microorganisms at multiple anatomic sites and aimed to determine how intra-individual and inter-individual alterations in the microbiota influence human health, immunity, and different disease states. This Research Topic Proposal highlights the importance of microorganisms in the development and progression of cancer. Cancer is one of the most aggressive and deadly multifactorial diseases, in which genetic alterations play a key role. However, several environmental conditions are also important. Certain viruses, bacteria and fungi, reside within tumor tissues and can be considered risk factors to the development of certain types of cancer. On the other hand, susceptibility to infectious diseases is higher in cancer patients. The signatures of the tumor microbe microenvironment are context-dependent and have clinical significance. Firstly, the intra-tumoral microbiome is tumor type-specific and subtype-specific, potentially allowing it to be used as a diagnostic tool. Thereafter, the potential role of microbe-derived metabolites in the tumor microenvironment also needs to be considered. The residues of microbes, such as DNA, RNA, peptides, and cell wall components, are observed within cancer cells and tumor-infiltrating immune cells, regulating some important cancer signaling pathways; e.g the increased presence of periodontal pathogens that has been demonstrated to be related with the invasiveness of oral cancer cells, inducing the epithelial to mesenchymal transition, by influencing the cell cycle via p53, PI3K and cyclin pathways, as well as resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. Also, commensal fungal species has been shown to modulate the expression of Bcl-2, PI3KCA, BRAF and CDKN1A genes in cell culture. The role of some viruses, as HPV and HBV, are already known to promote cancer and also some infection diseases e.g Tuberculosis that may increase the risk of lung cancer through substantial and prolonged pulmonary inflammation, leading to host tissue damage, fibrosis, scar formation, and genetic alterations. Not least, dysbiosis is hypothesized to be related to tumorigenesis and the immune processes may govern the development of cancers and their responses to treatment.
So the key points of this Research Topic Proposal are:
• The influences of microorganisms, especially bacterial and fungi, on tumour microenvironments, through in vitro or in vivo models;
• The relationship between cancer cells and microorganisms, elucidated through genetic and epigenetic assays;
• The role of intratumoral microbes in the response and toxicity to cancer therapy;
• High throughput analysis of microbes that reside within cancer cells and tumor-infiltrating immune cells and its potential to impact the tumor immune microenvironment;
• The role of toxins and/or Quorum Sensing Molecules, produced by microorganisms, and its influences on tumorigenesis, metastasis and treatment failure.
The Human Microbiome Project identified the collection of human-associated microorganisms at multiple anatomic sites and aimed to determine how intra-individual and inter-individual alterations in the microbiota influence human health, immunity, and different disease states. This Research Topic Proposal highlights the importance of microorganisms in the development and progression of cancer. Cancer is one of the most aggressive and deadly multifactorial diseases, in which genetic alterations play a key role. However, several environmental conditions are also important. Certain viruses, bacteria and fungi, reside within tumor tissues and can be considered risk factors to the development of certain types of cancer. On the other hand, susceptibility to infectious diseases is higher in cancer patients. The signatures of the tumor microbe microenvironment are context-dependent and have clinical significance. Firstly, the intra-tumoral microbiome is tumor type-specific and subtype-specific, potentially allowing it to be used as a diagnostic tool. Thereafter, the potential role of microbe-derived metabolites in the tumor microenvironment also needs to be considered. The residues of microbes, such as DNA, RNA, peptides, and cell wall components, are observed within cancer cells and tumor-infiltrating immune cells, regulating some important cancer signaling pathways; e.g the increased presence of periodontal pathogens that has been demonstrated to be related with the invasiveness of oral cancer cells, inducing the epithelial to mesenchymal transition, by influencing the cell cycle via p53, PI3K and cyclin pathways, as well as resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. Also, commensal fungal species has been shown to modulate the expression of Bcl-2, PI3KCA, BRAF and CDKN1A genes in cell culture. The role of some viruses, as HPV and HBV, are already known to promote cancer and also some infection diseases e.g Tuberculosis that may increase the risk of lung cancer through substantial and prolonged pulmonary inflammation, leading to host tissue damage, fibrosis, scar formation, and genetic alterations. Not least, dysbiosis is hypothesized to be related to tumorigenesis and the immune processes may govern the development of cancers and their responses to treatment.
So the key points of this Research Topic Proposal are:
• The influences of microorganisms, especially bacterial and fungi, on tumour microenvironments, through in vitro or in vivo models;
• The relationship between cancer cells and microorganisms, elucidated through genetic and epigenetic assays;
• The role of intratumoral microbes in the response and toxicity to cancer therapy;
• High throughput analysis of microbes that reside within cancer cells and tumor-infiltrating immune cells and its potential to impact the tumor immune microenvironment;
• The role of toxins and/or Quorum Sensing Molecules, produced by microorganisms, and its influences on tumorigenesis, metastasis and treatment failure.