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Review
. 2022 Jan-Dec;14(1):2035659.
doi: 10.1080/19490976.2022.2035659.

Next-generation probiotics - do they open new therapeutic strategies for cancer patients?

Karolina Kaźmierczak-Siedlecka  1 , Karolina Skonieczna-Żydecka  2 , Theodore Hupp  3   4 , Renata Duchnowska  5 , Natalia Marek-Trzonkowska  6   7 , Karol Połom  1
Affiliations
Review

Next-generation probiotics - do they open new therapeutic strategies for cancer patients?

Karolina Kaźmierczak-Siedlecka et al. Gut Microbes. 2022 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

Gut microbiota and its association with cancer development/treatment has been intensively studied during the past several years. Currently, there is a growing interest toward next-generation probiotics (NGPs) as therapeutic agents that alter gut microbiota and impact on cancer development. In the present review we focus on three emerging NGPs, namely Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Akkermansia muciniphila, and Bacteroides fragilis as their presence in the digestive tract can have an impact on cancer incidence. These NGPs enhance gastrointestinal immunity, maintain intestinal barrier integrity, produce beneficial metabolites, act against pathogens, improve immunotherapy efficacy, and reduce complications associated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Notably, the use of NGPs in cancer patients does not have a long history and, although their safety remains relatively undefined, recently published data has shown that they are non-toxigenic. Notwithstanding, A. muciniphila may promote colitis whereas enterotoxigenic B. fragilis stimulates chronic inflammation and participates in colorectal carcinogenesis. Nevertheless, the majority of B. fragilis strains provide a beneficial effect to the host, are non-toxigenic and considered as the best current NGP candidate. Overall, emerging studies indicate a beneficial role of these NGPs in the prevention of carcinogenesis and open new promising therapeutic options for cancer patients.

Keywords: Akkermansia muciniphila; Bacteroides fragilis; Faecalibacterium prausnitzii; Gut microbiota; cancer; immunotherapy; next-generation probiotics.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The potential mechanisms of NGPs by which they may be effective in prevention of cancer development/treatment. LPS – lipopolysaccharides, SCFAs – short-chain fatty acids, ZO-1 – zonula occludens-1. Own elaboration based on literature.,,,,,,,100
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