Uzelac, M.; Xin, R.; Ongkeko, W.M. Microbiome Dysbiosis Is Associated with Castration Resistance and Cancer Stemness in Metastatic Prostate Cancer. Int. J. Mol. Sci.2024, 25, 3291.
Uzelac, M.; Xin, R.; Ongkeko, W.M. Microbiome Dysbiosis Is Associated with Castration Resistance and Cancer Stemness in Metastatic Prostate Cancer. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 3291.
Uzelac, M.; Xin, R.; Ongkeko, W.M. Microbiome Dysbiosis Is Associated with Castration Resistance and Cancer Stemness in Metastatic Prostate Cancer. Int. J. Mol. Sci.2024, 25, 3291.
Uzelac, M.; Xin, R.; Ongkeko, W.M. Microbiome Dysbiosis Is Associated with Castration Resistance and Cancer Stemness in Metastatic Prostate Cancer. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 3291.
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death in males in America, with advanced prostate cancers exhibiting a 5-year survival rate of only 32%. Castration-resistance is often developed during the course of treatment, though its influences require further understanding. This study explores the human microbiome for its implications in castration-resistance and metastasis in prostate cancer. RNA sequencing data was downloaded for bone and soft tissue biopsies of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. These sequences were mapped to bacterial sequences to yield species-level abundance approximations. Numerous species were found to correlate to the expression of known markers of castration-resistance, including AR, PI3K, and AKT. Castration-resistance-associated signaling pathways were also enriched with these species, including PI3K-AKT signaling and endocrine resistance. For their implications in cancer aggression and metastasis, cancer stem cell markers were further explored for relation to these species. EGFR and SLC3A2 were widely downregulated with greater abundance of most species. Our results suggest that the microbiome is heavily associated with castration-resistance and stemness in prostate cancer. By considering the microbiome’s importance in these factors, we may better understand the highly aggressive and highly invasive nature of prostate cancer, allowing for needed improvement in the treatment of this disease.
Keywords
prostate cancer; castration-resistant prostate cancer; microbiome; cancer stem cells
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Oncology and Oncogenics
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
