Oral Microbiota and the Risk of Gastrointestinal Cancers-A Narrative Literature Review

• Published in: Pathogens (Basel) Vol. 13; no. 9; p. 819
• Main Authors: Knop-Chodyła, Kinga, Kochanowska-Mazurek, Anna, Piasecka, Zuzanna, Głaz, Aneta, Wesołek-Bielaska, Ewelina Weronika, Syty, Kinga, Forma, Alicja, Baj, Jacek
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 23.09.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Bacteria; Cancer; Carcinogens; Cell cycle; Colorectal cancer; Dental caries; Development and progression; DNA methylation; Dysbacteriosis; esophageal cancer; Esophagus; Gastric cancer; Gastrointestinal cancer; Gastrointestinal system; Gastrointestinal tract; Gum disease; Health aspects; Immune response; Infections; Inflammation; Literature reviews; Metabolic pathways; Microbiota; Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms); Microorganisms; Narratives; Neutrophils; Oral cancer; Oral cavity; Oral hygiene; oral microbiota; Pancreatic cancer; Prevention; Review; Risk factors; Stomach; Poland; pancreatic cancer; colorectal cancer; esophageal cancer; gastric cancer; oral microbiota; gastrointestinal cancer; hepatocellular carcinoma; oral cancer
• ISSN: 2076-0817; 2076-0817
• DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13090819

The human body is colonized by trillions of microorganisms in a symbiotic relationship. The oral cavity represents one of the most abundant microbial habitats in our body. Advances in sequencing techniques provide a more detailed understanding of the oral microbiota and how imbalances between bacteria, the phenomenon of dysbiosis, can affect not only the development of dental caries or inflammation within the oral cavity but also systemic diseases and cancers in distant locations. This narrative review evaluates the relationship between oral microbiota and its impact on gastrointestinal cancers. Using the keywords "oral microbiota 'AND' gastrointestinal cancers", the PubMed Web of Science and Scopus databases were searched for articles published between 2014 and 2024. Based on the review, the relationship between oral microbiota and oral, esophageal, gastric, colorectal, hepatocellular, and pancreatic cancers was described. Potential oncogenic mechanisms exploited by the microbiota such as the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, induction of abnormal immune responses, and disruption of cell metabolic pathways were assessed. Further research and a thorough understanding of the impact of the oral microbiota on the development of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract may play a key role in their prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in the future.