Mafe Alice N, Büsselberg Dietrich
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Taraba State University, Main Campus, Jalingo 660101, Taraba State, Nigeria.
Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha Metropolitan Area, Doha P.O. Box 22104, Qatar.
Biomolecules. 2025 Feb 12;15(2):270. doi: 10.3390/biom15020270.
The gut-brain-cancer axis represents a novel and intricate connection between the gut microbiota, neurobiology, and cancer progression. Recent advances have accentuated the significant role of gut microbiota metabolites in modulating systemic processes that influence both brain health and tumorigenesis. This paper explores the emerging concept of metabolite-mediated modulation within the gut-brain-cancer connection, focusing on key metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), tryptophan derivatives, secondary bile acids, and lipopolysaccharides (LPS). While the gut microbiota's impact on immune regulation, neuroinflammation, and tumor development is well established, gaps remain in grasping how specific metabolites contribute to neuro-cancer interactions. We discuss novel metabolites with potential implications for neurobiology and cancer, such as indoles and polyamines, which have yet to be extensively studied. Furthermore, we review preclinical and clinical evidence linking gut dysbiosis, altered metabolite profiles, and brain tumors, showcasing limitations and research gaps, particularly in human longitudinal studies. Case studies investigating microbiota-based interventions, including dietary changes, fecal microbiota transplantation, and probiotics, demonstrate promise but also indicate hurdles in translating these findings to clinical cancer therapies. This paper concludes with a call for standardized multi-omics approaches and bi-directional research frameworks integrating microbiome, neuroscience, and oncology to develop personalized therapeutic strategies for neuro-cancer patients.
肠道-脑-癌轴代表了肠道微生物群、神经生物学和癌症进展之间一种全新且复杂的联系。最近的进展凸显了肠道微生物群代谢产物在调节影响脑健康和肿瘤发生的全身过程中的重要作用。本文探讨了肠道-脑-癌联系中代谢产物介导调节这一新兴概念，重点关注短链脂肪酸（SCFAs）、色氨酸衍生物、次级胆汁酸和脂多糖（LPS）等关键代谢产物。虽然肠道微生物群对免疫调节、神经炎症和肿瘤发展的影响已得到充分证实，但在理解特定代谢产物如何促进神经-癌症相互作用方面仍存在差距。我们讨论了对神经生物学和癌症可能有影响的新型代谢产物，如吲哚和多胺，它们尚未得到广泛研究。此外，我们回顾了将肠道微生物群失调、代谢产物谱改变与脑肿瘤联系起来的临床前和临床证据，展示了局限性和研究差距，特别是在人类纵向研究中。调查基于微生物群的干预措施（包括饮食改变、粪便微生物群移植和益生菌）的案例研究显示出前景，但也指出了将这些发现转化为临床癌症治疗方法的障碍。本文最后呼吁采用标准化的多组学方法和整合微生物组学、神经科学和肿瘤学的双向研究框架，为神经癌症患者制定个性化治疗策略。
