Document Type

Article

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Disciplines

Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology | Biotechnology | Food Science | Genetics and Genomics | Medical Nutrition | Medical Sciences | Oncology

Publication Details

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Abstract

The role of the gut microbiome in human health and disease is the focus of much attention. It has been widely agreed upon that our gut bacteria play a role in host immunity, nutrient absorption, digestion, metabolism, and other key drivers of health. Furthermore, certain microbial signatures and specific taxa have also been associated with the development of diseases, such as obesity; inflammatory bowel disease; and, indeed, colorectal cancer (CRC), which is the focus of this review. By extension, such taxa represent potential therapeutic targets. In particular, the emerging human pathogen Fusobacterium nucleatum represents an important agent in CRC development and its control within the gastrointestinal tract is desirable. This paper reviews the principal bacterial pathogens that have been associated with CRC to date and discusses the in vitro and human studies that have shown the potential use of biotherapeutic strains as a means of targeting CRC-associated bacteria.

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