A Probiotic Formula for Modulation of Colorectal Cancer Risk via Reducing CRC-Associated Bacteria

Abstract

Gut microbiota dysbiosis with increased pathogenic bacteria and decreased beneficial bacteria is associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) development. This study examined the effect of a newly developed probiotic formula in modulating CRC-related bacteria. We developed a probiotic formula containing three bifidobacteria (B. adolescentis, B. longum, and B. bifidum) based on the identification of bacterial species that showed significant correlations with CRC-related bacteria including Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn), Lachnoclostridium sp. m3, Clostridium hathewayi (Ch), and Bacteroides clarus (Bc). We co-cultured Fn with each bifidobacterium or the combined formula and examined the growth of Fn by qPCR. The three individual bifidobacteria significantly inhibited the growth of Fn compared to the control treatment (24~65% inhibition; all p Fn growth (70% inhibition) than the individual bifidobacteria (all p Fn, m3, Ch, and Bc) were quantitated by qPCR before and after the intervention, and the combined CRC risk score (4Bac; Fn, m3, Ch, and Bc) was evaluated. Subjects with probiotics intervention showed significantly increased abundances of the bifidobacteria from week 2 to week 5 compared to baseline (p Fn and m3) and the CRC risk score (4Bac) from week 2 to week 12 compared to baseline levels (p B. adolescentis, B. longum, and B. bifidum was effective in inhibiting the growth of F. nucleatum in vitro and improving the gut microbial environment against CRC development.

Keywords

• colorectal cancer
• probiotics
• <i>Fusobacterium nucleatum</i>
• <i>Bifidobacterium</i>