KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to identify a common regulatory network of transcription factors and target genes in lung, colon, and gastric cancer.
- Transcriptomic analysis identified key transcription factors that interact with the microbiome, influencing tumor development in cancers.
Lung, colon, and gastric cancers are leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Current diagnostic and treatment approaches based on histologic features and genomic biomarkers have not significantly improved mortality rates. The complex interplay between the human microbiome and cancer development has garnered increasing attention.
Beatriz Andrea Otálora-Otálora and the team aimed to use global transcriptomic network analysis to identify a common regulatory network of transcription factors and target genes in lung, colon, and gastric cancer. This network’s function might be influenced by crosstalk with the microbiome in the oral-gut-lung axis.
Researchers analyzed 25 transcriptomic datasets (10 lung cancer, 10 gastric cancer, and 5 colon cancer). They employed a bioinformatic pipeline using R language libraries and DAVID’s gene enrichment analyses. This aimed to identify a shared regulatory network of transcription factors and target genes across the cancer types, supported by experimental evidence of its role in cancer development.
The analysis revealed a key role for transcription factors SOX4, TCF3, TEAD4, ETV4, and FOXM1. These factors potentially influence stem cell programming and cancer progression by regulating genes involved in microbe-cancer cell interactions.
Specifically, these genes encode cell membrane receptors that interact with viruses such as HTLV-1, HPV, EBV, and SARS-CoV-2. These interactions can activate the MAPK, non-canonical WNT, and IFN signalling pathways, contributing to the overexpression of key transcription factors and the development of lung, colon, and gastric cancer.
The study highlighted the significant interplay between key transcription factors and the microbiome in lung, colon, and gastric cancer. This interaction, mediated by cancer-cell membrane receptors, may represent a crucial aspect of tumour development.
No financial support was provided.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39228892/
Otálora-Otálora BA, Payán-Gómez C, López-Rivera JJ, et al. (2024). “Global transcriptomic network analysis of the crosstalk between microbiota and cancer-related cells in the oral-gut-lung axis.” Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2024;14:1425388. Published 2024 Aug 20. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2024.1425388
