Probiotics may impact intestinal microbiota in colon cancer patients

A research study conducted by the Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg in Gothenburg, Sweden, in collaboration with DuPont Nutrition & Health (DuPont), suggests that probiotic intervention can alter and modify intestinal microbiota in patients with colon cancer. What defines a healthy microbiome can differ widely for individuals, but recent studies have shown that the gut microbiome is often dysbiotic, or altered from its normal stable state, in diseases such as gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, obesity, and metabolic syndrome.

The researchers added the probiotic strains Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bl-04 and Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM (both from DuPont) into a protective matrix tablet innovation (ProBion) developed by Wasa Medicals. The researchers obtained biopsy samples from the normal mucosa and tumor during colonoscopy from 15 patients with colon cancer. Subsequent patient-matched samples were taken at surgery from the tumor and nearby mucosa from the patients with cancer, eight of whom had received two daily tablets totaling 1.4×1010 CFUs Bifidobacterium lactis Bl-04and 7×109 CFUs Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM. Fecal samples were obtained after colonoscopy prior to starting the intervention and at surgery. In addition, 21 mucosal biopsies from non-cancer controls were obtained during colonoscopy followed by later fecal samples. The researchers assessed the colonic and fecal microbiota by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.

The researchers found that the composition and diversity of the microbiota was altered in the tumor tissue and surrounding mucosa in biopsy samples taken from colon cancer patients when compared to non-cancer patients. This colon-cancer associated microbiota was modified by probiotic intervention and characterized by an increase of bacteria known to produce butyrate. The anti-inflammatory benefits of butyrate for colon health are well-documented, and it also has been shown to suppress the growth of colon cancer cells.

The researchers concluded that “patients with colon cancer harbor a distinct microbiota signature in the tumor tissue and nearby mucosa, which was altered with probiotic intervention. Our results show promise for potential therapeutic benefits in CRC [colorectal cancer] by manipulation of the microbiota.”

Study