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The potential role of the microbiota in prostate cancer pathogenesis and treatment

Nature Reviews Urology volume 20, pages 706–718 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

The human body hosts a complex and dynamic population of trillions of microorganisms — the microbiota — which influences the body in homeostasis and disease, including cancer. Several epidemiological studies have associated specific urinary and gut microbial species with increased risk of prostate cancer; however, causal mechanistic data remain elusive. Studies have associated bacterial generation of genotoxins with the occurrence of TMPRSS2–ERG gene fusions, a common, early oncogenic event during prostate carcinogenesis. A subsequent study demonstrated the role of the gut microbiota in prostate cancer endocrine resistance, which occurs, at least partially, through the generation of androgenic steroids fuelling oncogenic signalling via the androgen receptor. These studies present mechanistic evidence of how the host microbiota might be implicated in prostate carcinogenesis and tumour progression. Importantly, these findings also reveal potential avenues for the detection and treatment of prostate cancer through the profiling and modulation of the host microbiota. The latter could involve approaches such as the use of faecal microbiota transplantation, prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics or antibiotics, which can be used independently or combined with existing treatments to reverse therapeutic resistance and improve clinical outcomes in patients with prostate cancer.

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Fig. 1: The potential role of the host microbiota in prostate carcinogenesis and growth.
Fig. 2: A specific microbiota composition has been associated with pathological conditions.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Nicolò Pernigoni, Christina Guo.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Oncology Research, Bellinzona, Switzerland

    Nicolò Pernigoni, Manuel Colucci, Martina Troiani, Lei Liu, Luisa Maraccani & Andrea Alimonti

  2. Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland

    Nicolò Pernigoni, Manuel Colucci, Martina Troiani, Lei Liu, Luisa Maraccani & Andrea Alimonti

  3. Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK

    Christina Guo, Lewis Gallagher, Wei Yuan & Johann de Bono

  4. Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK

    Christina Guo & Johann de Bono

  5. Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Manuel Colucci

  6. Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

    Luisa Maraccani

  7. Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy

    Luisa Maraccani & Andrea Alimonti

  8. Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Ilaria Guccini

  9. Department of Oncology, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland

    Denis Migliorini

  10. Center for Translational Research in Onco-Hematology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

    Denis Migliorini

  11. Swiss Cancer Center Léman, Lausanne and Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

    Denis Migliorini

  12. AGORA Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Denis Migliorini

  13. Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, EOC, Bellinzona, Switzerland

    Andrea Alimonti

  14. Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

    Andrea Alimonti

  15. Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Andrea Alimonti

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Contributions

A.A., N.P., C.G., L.G., W.Y., D.M. and J.d.B. researched data for the article. A.A., N.P., C.G., W.Y., D.M. and J.d.B. contributed substantially to discussion of the content. A.A., N.P., C.G., L.G., W.Y., D.M. and J.d.B. wrote the article. All authors reviewed and/or edited the manuscript before submission.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrea Alimonti.

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Competing interests

J.d.B. is a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, or the Department of Health. J.d.B. is an employee of the ICR, and has received funding or other support for his research work from AZ, Astellas, Bayer, Cellcentric, Daiichi, Genentech, Genmab, GSK, Janssen, Merck Serono, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Menarini/Silicon Biosystems, Orion, Sanofi Aventis, Sierra Oncology, Taiho, Pfizer and Vertex, with a commercial interest in abiraterone, PARP inhibition in DNA repair–defective cancers, and PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitors (no personal income). J.d.B. is an inventor, with no financial interest, on patent 8,822,438 submitted by Janssen, which covers the use of abiraterone acetate with corticosteroids. N.P., M.T. and A.A. are inventors on patent application 102021000021974 submitted by the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), which covers the use of antibiotics, FMT and probiotics in prostate cancer therapy. D.M. is an inventor on patents related to CAR T cell therapy, filed by the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Geneva, the Università della Svizzera Italiana, and is scientific co-founder of Cellula Therapeutics. D.M. has been a consultant for Limula Therapeutics and MPC Therapeutics. The other authors declare no competing interests.

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Pernigoni, N., Guo, C., Gallagher, L. et al. The potential role of the microbiota in prostate cancer pathogenesis and treatment. Nat Rev Urol 20, 706–718 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41585-023-00795-2

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