Gender-specific changes of the gut microbiome correlate with tumor development in murine models of pancreatic cancer
Tom Kaune,
Heidi Griesmann,
Katharina Theuerkorn,
Monika Hämmerle,
Helmut Laumen,
Sebastian Krug,
Iris Plumeier,
Silke Kahl,
Howard Junca,
Luiz Gustavo dos Anjos Borges,
Patrick Michl,
Dietmar H. Pieper,
Jonas Rosendahl
Affiliations
Tom Kaune
Department of Internal Medicine I, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
Heidi Griesmann
Department of Internal Medicine I, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
Katharina Theuerkorn
Department of Internal Medicine I, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
Monika Hämmerle
Institute of Pathology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
Helmut Laumen
Department of Internal Medicine I, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
Sebastian Krug
Department of Internal Medicine I, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany; Klinik für Innere Medizin IV, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Iris Plumeier
Microbial Interactions and Processes Research Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
Silke Kahl
Microbial Interactions and Processes Research Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
Howard Junca
Microbial Interactions and Processes Research Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
Luiz Gustavo dos Anjos Borges
Microbial Interactions and Processes Research Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
Patrick Michl
Department of Internal Medicine I, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany; Klinik für Innere Medizin IV, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Dietmar H. Pieper
Microbial Interactions and Processes Research Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany; Corresponding author
Jonas Rosendahl
Department of Internal Medicine I, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany; Corresponding author
Summary: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a devastating disease with a dismal outcome. To improve understanding of sequential microbiome changes during PDAC development we analyzed mouse models of pancreatic carcinogenesis (KC mice recapitulating pre-invasive PanIN formation, as well as KPC mice recapitulating invasive PDAC) during early tumor development and subsequent tumor progression. Diversity and community composition were analyzed depending on genotype, age, and gender. Both mouse models demonstrated concordant abundance changes of several genera influenced by one or more of the investigated factors. Abundance was significantly impacted by gender, highlighting the need to further elucidate the impact of gender differences. The findings underline the importance of the microbiome in PDAC development and indicate that microbiological screening of patients at risk and targeting the microbiome in PDAC development may be feasible in future.
