Publication Date:
2017-11-23
Description:
Colorectal cancers comprise a complex mixture of malignant cells, nontransformed cells, and microorganisms.Fusobacterium nucleatumis among the most prevalent bacterial species in colorectal cancer tissues. Here we show that colonization of human colorectal cancers withFusobacteriumand its associated microbiome—includingBacteroides,Selenomonas, andPrevotellaspecies—is maintained in distal metastases, demonstrating microbiome stability between paired primary and metastatic tumors. In situ hybridization analysis revealed thatFusobacteriumis predominantly associated with cancer cells in the metastatic lesions. Mouse xenografts of human primary colorectal adenocarcinomas were found to retain viableFusobacteriumand its associated microbiome through successive passages. Treatment of mice bearing a colon cancer xenograft with the antibiotic metronidazole reducedFusobacteriumload, cancer cell proliferation, and overall tumor growth. These observations argue for further investigation of antimicrobial interventions as a potential treatment for patients withFusobacterium-associated colorectal cancer.
Print ISSN:
0036-8075
Electronic ISSN:
1095-9203
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Computer Science
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
,
Physics
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