The Impact of the Microbiome on Resistance to Cancer Treatment with Chemotherapeutic Agents and Immunotherapy

Understanding the mechanisms of resistance to therapy in human cancer cells has become a multifaceted limiting factor to achieving optimal cures in cancer patients. Besides genetic and epigenetic alterations, enhanced DNA damage repair activity, deregulation of cell death, overexpression of transmembrane transporters, and complex interactions within the tumor microenvironment, other mechanisms of cancer treatment resistance have been recently proposed. In this review, we will summarize the preclinical and clinical studies highlighting the critical role of the microbiome in the efficacy of cancer treatment, concerning mainly chemotherapy and immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors. In addition to involvement in drug metabolism and immune surveillance, the production of microbiota-derived metabolites might represent the link between gut/intratumoral bacteria and response to anticancer therapies. Importantly, an emerging trend of using microbiota modulation by probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to overcome cancer treatment resistance will be also discussed.     

植物多酚和多糖经肠道微生态途径互作调节糖脂代谢的研究进展

基于“多酚-多糖-肠道菌群”相互作用发挥机体健康效应已成为精准膳食干预策略和生物医学理论基础研究的热点和发展方向。植物多酚和多糖均具有调节机体健康的生物活性,单一组分因自身结构、理化性质等因素导致其生物利用度较低,不能较好的发挥功效。多酚多糖相互作用形成的复合结构能提高其功能特性,从而更有效地发挥机体健康效应和预防疾病。本文主要从多酚多糖调节糖脂代谢的作用、多酚多糖经肠道微生物途径改善糖脂代谢、多酚多糖相互作用调节糖脂代谢机制等方面进行综述。大量前期研究均证实植物多酚和多糖具有糖脂代谢调节功效,然而涉及两种成分相互作用共同发挥功效及其机制研究还非常有限,本综述为后续研究二者相互作用及其功能特性变化等方面提供参考。     

后生元制备技术及益生效应研究进展

2021年国际益生菌和益生元科学协会发表共识,将后生元定义为对宿主健康具有促进作用的无生命微生物和/或其成分的制剂。自此,关于后生元的研究进入热潮。相较于益生菌,后生元的益生特性不依赖于菌株活性,使其相较于活体微生物具有更高的稳定性和安全性,因此便于大规模生产及容易被消费者接受。作者概述了后生元制备技术,主要包括热加工技术（巴氏杀菌、高温灭菌、欧姆加热）及非热加工技术（脉冲电场、超声波、电离辐射）,并重点综述了后生元在维持肠道健康、预防肥胖、维护皮肤健康、治疗便秘、抗糖尿病、改善口腔健康等方面的益生作用,以期为未来后生元的工业生产及明确后生元益生效应机制提供参考。     

长双歧杆菌CCFM1077缓解小鼠肝内胆汁淤积症的作用机制

肝内胆汁淤积症是一种胆汁分泌及排泄异常引起的病理状态,对人体健康有不利影响。使用α-萘异硫氰酸酯（ANIT）构建肝内胆汁淤积小鼠模型,探究长双歧杆菌CCFM1077(Bifidobacterium longum CCFM1077)对该症状的缓解作用。结果表明,B. longum CCFM1077可显著改善ANIT诱导的小鼠肝脏组织损伤,降低血清中谷草转氨酶（AST）、谷丙转氨酶（ALT）、碱性磷酸酶（ALP）等主要肝功能相关酶水平以及胆汁酸（BAs）浓度。此外,B. longum CCFM1077可能通过激活肠-肝轴FXR-FGF-15信号通路来上调fxr基因的表达,进而抑制BAs合成基因cyp7a1的表达。该菌株可显著提高具有高胆盐水解酶活性的乳杆菌属、双歧杆菌属等肠道共生菌的相对丰度,降低小鼠肝脏中结合态BAs(T-β-MCA、TCDCA、TUDCA)水平,升高游离态BAs(CDCA、CA、DCA、UDCA)水平,进而促进BAs排出体外。B. longum CCFM1077可降低小鼠肠道中志贺氏埃希氏菌属的相对丰度,升高Ruminococcaceae＿UCG＿014菌属的相对丰度。...     

The Association between Gut Microbiota and Osteoarthritis: Does the Disease Begin in the Gut?

Some say that all diseases begin in the gut. Interestingly, this concept is actually quite old, since it is attributed to the Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, who proposed the hypothesis nearly 2500 years ago. The continuous breakthroughs in modern medicine have transformed our classic understanding of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and human health. Although the gut microbiota (GMB) has proven to be a core component of human health under standard metabolic conditions, there is now also a strong link connecting the composition and function of the GMB to the development of numerous diseases, especially the ones of musculoskeletal nature. The symbiotic microbes that reside in the gastrointestinal tract are very sensitive to biochemical stimuli and may respond in many different ways depending on the nature of these biological signals. Certain variables such as nutrition and physical modulation can either enhance or disrupt the equilibrium between the various species of gut microbes. In fact, fat-rich diets can cause dysbiosis, which decreases the number of protective bacteria and compromises the integrity of the epithelial barrier in the GIT. Overgrowth of pathogenic microbes then release higher quantities of toxic metabolites into the circulatory system, especially the pro-inflammatory cytokines detected in osteoarthritis (OA), thereby promoting inflammation and the initiation of many disease processes throughout the body. Although many studies link OA with GMB perturbations, further research is still needed.     

Toward Xeno-Free Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Small Intestinal Epithelial Cells

The small intestinal epithelium has an important role in nutrition, but also in drug absorption and metabolism. There are a few two-dimensional (2D) patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based intestinal models enabling easy evaluation of transcellular transport. It is known that animal-derived components induce variation in the experimental outcomes. Therefore, we aimed to refine the differentiation protocol by using animal-free components. More specifically, we compared maturation of 2D-cultured iPCSs toward small intestinal epithelial cells when cultured either with or without serum, and either on Geltrex or on animal-free, recombinant laminin-based substrata. Differentiation status was characterized by qPCR, immunofluorescence imaging, and functionality assays. Our data suggest that differentiation toward definitive endoderm is more efficient without serum. Both collagen- and recombinant laminin-based coating supported differentiation of definitive endoderm, posterior definitive endoderm, and small intestinal epithelial cells from iPS-cells equally well. Small intestinal epithelial cells differentiated on recombinant laminin exhibited slightly more enterocyte specific cellular functionality than cells differentiated on Geltrex. Our data suggest that functional small intestinal epithelial cells can be generated from iPSCs in serum-free method on xeno-free substrata. This method is easily converted to an entirely xeno-free method.     

Profiling of the Bacterial Microbiota along the Murine Alimentary Tract

Here, the spatial distribution of the bacterial flora along the murine alimentary tract was evaluated using high throughput sequencing in wild-type and Tff3-deficient (Tff3^KO) animals. Loss of Tff3 was linked to increased dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis. This systematic study shows the results of 13 different regions from the esophagus to the rectum. The number of bacterial species (richness) increased from the esophagus to the rectum, from 50 to 200, respectively. Additionally, the bacterial community structure changed continuously; the highest changes were between the upper/middle and lower gastrointestinal compartments when comparing adjacent regions. Lactobacillus was the major colonizer in the upper/middle gastrointestinal tract, especially in the esophagus and stomach. From the caecum, a drastic diminution of Lactobacillus occurred, while members of Lachnospiraceae significantly increased. A significant change occurred in the bacterial community between the ascending and the transverse colon with Bacteroidetes being the major colonizers with relative constant abundance until the rectum. Interestingly, wild-type and Tff3^KO animals did not show significant differences in their bacterial communities, suggesting that Tff3 is not involved in alterations of intraluminal or adhesive microbiota but is obviously important for mucosal protection, e.g., of the sensitive stem cells in the colonic crypts probably by a mucus plume.     

Morphogen Signals Shaping the Gastric Glands in Health and Disease

The adult gastric mucosa is characterised by deep invaginations of the epithelium called glands. These tissue architectural elements are maintained with the contribution of morphogen signals. Morphogens are expressed in specific areas of the tissue, and their diffusion generates gradients in the microenvironment. Cells at different positions in the gland sense a specific combination of signals that instruct them to differentiate, proliferate, regenerate, or migrate. Differentiated cells perform specific functions involved in digestion, such as the production of protective mucus and the secretion of digestive enzymes or gastric acid. Biopsies from gastric precancerous conditions usually display tissue aberrations and change the shape of the glands. Alteration of the morphogen signalling microenvironment is likely to underlie those conditions. Furthermore, genes involved in morphogen signalling pathways are found to be frequently mutated in gastric cancer. We summarise the most recent findings regarding alterations of morphogen signalling during gastric carcinogenesis, and we highlight the new stem cell technologies that are improving our understanding of the regulation of human tissue shape.