Targeted Therapies for Inlfammatory Bowel Disease and Colorectal Cancer：An Increasing Need for Microbiota-Intestinal Mutualism

• Published in: 国际转化医学杂志（英文版） no. 2; pp. 123 - 129
• Main Authors: Tomasello Giovanni, Tralongo Pietro, Jurjus Abdo, Matar Michel, Angelo Leone
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science Technology, Palermo 90139, Italy%Department of Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences, Section of Histology, University of Palermo, Palermo 90133, Italy%Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, School of Medicine, American University of Beirut, 1107-2020 Beirut, Lebanon 2015
• Subjects: Targeted therapies; Microbiota; Inlfammatory bowel disease; Colorectal cancer; Ulcerative colitis
• ISSN: 2227-6394; 2227-6394
• DOI: 10.11910/2227-6394.2015.03.02.11

The involvement of intestinal microbiota and dysbiosis in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC) is a well-established fact to be taken into real consideration when developing targeted therapies. This review aims to depict how advances in our understanding of the role of intestinal lfora in the pathogenesis of IBD and CRC are shaping up the therapeutic protocols of their management. It is demonstrated that there is a circadian regulation of colocyte gene expression in response to microbiota. Dysbiosis leading to a decrease in microbiome biodiversity is also described in IBD patients whereby thick layers of adherent mucosa associated bacteria exist both in ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Probiotics based approaches using lactobacilli and bibidobacteria improved clinical symptoms of IBD’s through the GALT immune modulation. In addition, microbiota transplantation has also been used for IBD treatment. Feacal microbiota transplantation (FMT) consists of transferring gastrointestinal microbiota from a healthy donor to an IBD patient by duodenal infusion of liquid stool suspension to establish microbial homeostasis. The destruction of mucosal integrity facilitates the passage of bacteria in the injured zone to trigger chronic inlfammation, eventually leading to CRC development by creating a carcinogenic environment. Actually, a high level of fusobacterium nucleatun and other bacteria are prevalent in CRC patients, thus suggesting a potential role of these organisms in the initiation and progression due to the production of genotoxic metabolites causing a direct damage to DNA integrity. Besides, regular probiotics intake may actively prevent the whole process.