Table 3.
Microbiological-based interventions in treating various cancer types.
| Nutritional supplement | Example | Cancer type targeted | Mode of action | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Probiotics | Lactobacillus species | Murine breast cancer model | Activate NK cells. | (Aragón et al., 2015; Hibberd et al., 2017; Li et al., 2016b; Sapra et al., 2021, Sapra et al., 2022; Zitvogel et al., 2017) |
| Promote dendritic cell maturation. | ||||
| Release iron-scavenging molecules. | ||||
| Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium animalis | Colon Tumors | Modify the microbiota favoring butyrate-producing bacteria. | ||
| Bifidobacterium longum | Colorectal Cancer | Butyrate in turn, inhibits cell growth, induces apoptosis, and diminishes inflammation | ||
| Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) | Colorectal Cancer | Suppresses RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis | ||
| Enhances gut permeability. | ||||
| Reduces Osteoclastogenic cytokines | ||||
| Prebiotics | Non-digestible polysaccharides | Ulcerative colitis patients with a risk of colorectal cancer | Increase SCFAs and SCFA receptor expression, reducing inflammation and cell proliferation. | (Hu et al., 2016; Li et al., 2020; Taper and Roberfroid, 2000; Zitvogel et al., 2017) |
| Oligofructose or Inulin | Breast, Colon and Lung Cancer | Enhance the curative properties of many cytotoxic medications, thus improving chemotherapy effectiveness. | ||
| Mucin or inulin polysaccharides | Melanoma mice models | Alter tumor microenvironment leading to tumor ablation. | ||
| Synbiotics | Lactobacillus casei spp. along with dextran | Colorectal Cancer | Increased NK cell activity. | (Ogawa et al., 2005; Rafter et al., 2007; Saito et al., 2019) |
| Lower production of inflammation mediators like COX-2, STAT3, IL-6. | ||||
| Decreased cell proliferation and improved mucosal structure. | ||||
| Postbiotics | Tributyrin | Trigger autophagy, preventing tumor cells from metastasizing. | (Vrzáčková et al., 2021) | |
| Indole-3-Lactic acid | Colorectal Cancer | epigenetically induced increased IL12a production in DCs, subsequently enhancing CD8+ T cell function | ||
| H2S | Causes Tissue damage at very high concentrations yet at low level, acts as a cytoprotective agent. |
NK: Natural Killer, RANK-L: Receptor activator for nuclear factor kappa-B ligand, SCFA: Short chain fatty acids, COX-2: Cyclooxygenase-2, STAT3: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, IL: Interleukin, DC: Dendritic cells.