The role of Fusobacterium nucleatum in colorectal cancer: from carcinogenesis to clinical management

• Published in: Chronic diseases and translational medicine Vol. 5; no. 3; pp. 178 - 187
• Main Authors: Sun, Chun-Hui, Li, Bin-Bin, Wang, Bo, Zhao, Jing, Zhang, Xiao-Ying, Li, Ting-Ting, Li, Wen-Bing, Tang, Di, Qiu, Miao-Juan, Wang, Xin-Cheng, Zhu, Cheng-Ming, Qian, Zhi-Rong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: China Elsevier B.V 01.09.2019; Equipe Communication Intercellulaire et Infections Microbiennes,Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Biologie (CIRB),Collège de France,Paris 75005,France; Research Center,The Seventh Affiliated Hospital,Sun Yat-sen University,Shenzhen,Guangdong 518107,China%Research Center,The Seventh Affiliated Hospital,Sun Yat-sen University,Shenzhen,Guangdong 518107,China; School of Biological Sciences,Nanyang Technological University,Singapore 637551,Singapore%Department of Oncology,The Seventh Affiliated Hospital,Sun Yat-sen University,Shenzhen,Guangdong 518107,China%Research Center,The Seventh Affiliated Hospital,Sun Yat-sen University,Shenzhen,Guangdong 518107,China%Health Management Center,The Seventh Affiliated Hospital,Sun Yat-sen University,Shenzhen,Guangdong 518107,China%Department of Gastroenterology,The Second Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital,Beijing 100853,China%Department of Pathology,National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences,Peking Union Medical College,Beijing 100021,China%Department of General Surgery,The Seventh Affiliated Hospital,Sun Yat-sen University,Shenzhen,Guangdong 518107,China; Chinese Medical Association; Wiley
• Subjects: Carcinogenesis; Colorectal carcinoma; Fusobacterium nucleatum; Immune microenvironment; Intervention therapy; Immune microenvironment; Intervention therapy; Fusobacterium nucleatum; Carcinogenesis; Colorectal carcinoma
• ISSN: 2095-882X; 2589-0514; 2589-0514
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cdtm.2019.09.001

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignant tumor that affects people worldwide. Metagenomic analyses have shown an enrichment of Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) in colorectal carcinoma tissue; many studies have indicated that F. nucleatum is closely related to the colorectal carcinogenesis. In this review, we provide the latest information to reveal the related molecular mechanisms. The known virulence factors of F. nucleatum promote adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells via FadA and Fap2. Besides, Fap2 also binds to immune cells causing immunosuppression. Furthermore, F. nucleatum recruits tumor-infiltrating immune cells, thus yielding a pro-inflammatory microenvironment, which promotes colorectal neoplasia progression. F. nucleatum was also found to potentiate CRC development through toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)/toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling and microRNA (miRNA)-21 expression. In addition, F. nucleatum increases CRC recurrence along with chemoresistance by mediating a molecular network of miRNA-18a*, miRNA-4802, and autophagy components. Moreover, viable F. nucleatum was detected in mouse xenografts of human primary colorectal adenocarcinomas through successive passages. These findings indicated that an increased number of F. nucleatum in the tissues is a biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of CRC, and the underlying molecular mechanism can probably provide a potential intervention treatment strategy for patients with F. nucleatum-associated CRC.