The oesophageal microbiome and cancer: hope or hype?. Issue 4 (April 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kumar, Bhaskar; Lam, Stephen; Adam, Mina; Gilroy, Rachel; Pallen, Mark J.
• Is Part Of: Trends in microbiology. Volume 30:Issue 4(2022)
• Page Start: 322
• Page End: 329
• Publication Date: 2022-04
• Subjects: microbiome -- gastro-oesophageal reflux -- Barrett's oesophagus -- oesophageal adenocarcinoma -- oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma; Microbiology -- Periodicals; Infection -- Periodicals; Virulence (Microbiology) -- Periodicals; Infection -- Periodicals; Microbiology -- Periodicals; Virulence -- Periodicals; Microbiologie -- Périodiques; Infection -- Périodiques; Virulence (Microbiologie) -- Périodiques; Infection; Microbiology; Virulence (Microbiology); 579
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.08.007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0966-842X

Abstract

Abstract : The human oesophagus is home to a complex microbial community, the oesophageal microbiome. Despite decades of work, we still have only a poor, low-resolution view of this community, which makes it hard to distinguish hope from hype when it comes to assessing links between the oesophageal microbiome and cancer. Here we review the potential importance of this microbiome and discuss new approaches, including culturomics, metagenomics, and recovery of whole-genome sequences, that bring renewed hope for an in-depth characterisation of this community that could deliver translational impact. Highlights: Microbiomes are currently the focus of much attention, bringing the risk of 'hype' or 'microbiomania' when assessing their importance. The microbiome of the upper gut, particularly that of the oesophagus, has received far less interest than that of the lower gut. A range of studies using culture and sequencing of molecular barcodes suggest that the oesophagus is home to a rich microbial community. Precedents from other organ systems suggest that the oesophageal microbiome might contribute to the balance between health and disease and to the progression towards cancer. Previous studies have not provided enough information to link well-characterised bacterial strains or species to particular oesophageal pathologies. Advances in high-throughput culture (culturomics) and metagenomics bring renewed hope that recovery of microbial genome sequences from oesophageal samples might lead to a more sophisticated understanding of this microbial ecosystem and to the generation of plausible hypotheses to be tested in mechanistic studies.