Emerging implications of bacterial biofilm in cancer biology

Recent insights have unveiled exciting opportunities to explore the intricate interplay between bacterial biofilms, tumor cells, and the immune system, offering new perspectives on cancer biology. The implications of bacterial biofilms in this context are remarkably multifaceted. Biofilms can promote tumor growth and invasiveness by inducing chronic inflammation, remodeling the extracellular matrix, and modulating the immune response, which promotes cancer development. Recent evidence has illustrated the role of specific bacteria, such as Salmonella typhi in gall bladder cancer, Helicobacter pylori in gastric cancer, and Fusobacterium nucleatum in oral cancer. These studies have revealed that these bacteria are more abundant in cancer patients compared to healthy individuals. Moreover, these bacteria form biofilms and exhibit resistance to cancer therapy. In this review, we intend to explore the recent updates, the myriad influences of various bacteria, and the potential molecular pathways by which bacterial biofilms contribute to cancer development.

近期的研究洞察揭示了探索细菌生物膜、肿瘤细胞与免疫系统之间错综复杂的相互作用所蕴含的激动人心的机遇，为癌症生物学提供了新的视角。在此背景下，细菌生物膜的影响呈现出多维度特点。生物膜可通过诱导慢性炎症、重塑细胞外基质和调节免疫反应来促进肿瘤的生长和侵袭性，进而推动癌症的发展。近期的研究证据表明，如沙门氏菌（Salmonella typhi）与胆囊癌、幽门螺杆菌（Helicobacter pylori）与胃癌、核梭杆菌（Fusobacterium nucleatum）与口腔癌等特定细菌在癌症患者中比健康个体更为普遍。这些研究揭示了这些细菌形成生物膜并表现出对癌症治疗的耐药性。在本综述中，我们旨在探讨最新的研究进展、各种细菌的多样影响以及细菌生物膜通过何种潜在的分子途径促进癌症发展的可能性。