The probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri and its metabolite reuterin have a protective function against colorectal cancer. So concludes a U.S. study published in Cancer Cell. (1)
The role of dysbiosis
Colorectal cancer is among the most frequent cancers in the Italian population. It accounts for 11.6 percent of all cancers (excluding non-melanoma skin cancers) and is second only to breast cancer (14.6 percent of all cancers). (2)
Alteration of thegut microbiota (microbial dysbiosis) is now recognized as a hallmark of colorectal cancer and contributes to inflammation, tumor growth, and response to therapy. Less clear is how these microbes operate with respect to neoplasia.
The role of the probiotic
U.S. researchers analyzed mouse models with induced colon cancer and fecal samples from people with this type of cancer. This revealed a reduced presence of Lactobacillus reuteri and its metabolite, reuterin, as well as other lactobacilli, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus.
The reduction of these microbes was also ascertained in the tumor tissue, compared with the surrounding tissue.
Further experiments have shown that Lactobacillus reuteri and reuterin break down tumor mass, inducing cancer cell death and inhibiting the growth of new cells.
New perspectives
Lactobacillus reuteri is already being tested against various disorders and diseases, such as constipation, diarrhea, infant colic, asthma, and Helicobacter pylori . Its efficacy against the second most common cancer opens high hopes, well placed.
Our results indicate that a healthy microbiome and, in particular, Lactobacillus reuteri, is protective against CRC‘ (colorectal cancer, ed.), conclude the study authors.
Marta Strinati
Cover image from Ana Aleksic (2021). Potential Benefits of the Lactobacillus reuteri Probiotic. Selfhacked.
Notes
(1) Hannah N. Bell, Ryan J. Rebernick, Joshua Goyert, Steven P. Gygi, Joseph D. Mancias, Yatrik M. Shah et al. (2021) Reuterin in the healthy gut microbiome suppresses colorectal cancer growth through altering redox balance . Cancer Cell. 23.12.2021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2021.12.001
(2) Source AIRC https://www.airc.it/cancro/informazioni-tumori/cose-il-cancro/numeri-del-cancro
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
