Diet, microorganisms and their metabolites, and colon cancer

By S. O'keefe. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology &Hepatology, 2016

963 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Colorectal cancer is one of the so-called westernized diseases and the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. On the basis of global epidemiological and scientific studies, evidence suggests that the risk of colorectal cancer is increased by processed and unprocessed meat consumption but suppressed by fibre, and that food composition affects colonic health and cancer risk via its effects on colonic microbial metabolism. The gut microbiota can ferment complex dietary residues that are resistant to digestion by enteric enzymes. This process provides energy for the microbiota but culminates in the release of short-chain fatty acids including butyrate, which are utilized for the metabolic needs of the colon and the body. Butyrate has a remarkable array of colonic health-promoting and antineoplastic properties: it is the preferred energy source for colonocytes, it maintains mucosal integrity and it suppresses inflammation and carcinogenesis through effects on immunity, gene expression and epigenetic modulation. Protein residues and fat-stimulated bile acids are also metabolized by the microbiota to inflammatory and/or carcinogenic metabolites, which increase the risk of neoplastic progression. This Review will discuss the mechanisms behind these microbial metabolite effects, which could be modified by diet to achieve the objective of preventing colorectal cancer in Western societies.

Subfields: Molecular Biology, Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Surgery

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/0566ae54bde9b5f4ef3562c25943924a2dc8e534

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Molecular Biology

1. Prashanth Rawla
2. Bradley E. Bernstein
3. William A. Flavahan
4. Elizabeth Gaskell
5. V. Schirrmacher

In Pathology and Forensic Medicine

1. A. Jemal
2. R. Siegel

In Surgery

1. A. Jemal
2. F. Bray
3. R. Siegel

Citations in the corpus

• Expert consensus document: The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of prebiotics (2017, neutral): “SCFAs can modulate certain aspects of meta­ bolic activity including colonocyte function, gut homeo­ stasis, energy gain, the immune system, blood lipids, appetite and renal physiology, as reviewed elsewhere 16,51,52 .”
• Epigenetic plasticity and the hallmarks of cancer (2017, background): “Indeed, the epigenome of gastrointestinal cells appears particularly sensitive to environmental stimuli, such as inflammation or butyrate levels associatedwith diet and the gutmicrobiome (84).”
• Global patterns and trends in colorectal cancer incidence in young adults (2019, background): “41 The global food supply has changed substantially in recent decades 42 and evolving research is exploring the carcinogenic potential of relatively new food components.”
• Epidemiology of colorectal cancer: incidence, mortality, survival, and risk factors (2019, background): “Different foods have different effects on the microflora population and intestinal inflammation [46].”