Abstract The tumour-associated microbiota is an intrinsic component of the tumour microenvironment across human cancer types 1,2 . Intratumoral host–microbiota studies have so far largely relied on bulk tissue analysis 1–3 , which obscures the spatial distribution and localized effect of the microbiota within tumours. Here, by applying in situ spatial-profiling technologies 4 and single-cell RNA sequencing 5 to oral squamous cell carcinoma and colorectal cancer, we reveal spatial, cellular and molecular host–microbe interactions. We adapted 10x Visium spatial transcriptomics to determine the identity and in situ location of intratumoral microbial communities within patient tissues. Using GeoMx digital spatial profiling 6 , we show that bacterial communities populate microniches that are less vascularized, highly immuno‑suppressive and associated with malignant cells with lower levels of Ki-67 as compared to bacteria-negative tumour regions. We developed a single-cell RNA-sequencing method that we name INVADEseq (invasion–adhesion-directed expression sequencing) and, by applying this to patient tumours, identify cell-associated bacteria and the host cells with which they interact, as well as uncovering alterations in transcriptional pathways that are involved in inflammation, metastasis, cell dormancy and DNA repair. Through functional studies, we show that cancer cells that are infected with bacteria invade their surrounding environment as single cells and recruit myeloid cells to bacterial regions. Collectively, our data reveal that the distribution of the microbiota within a tumour is not random; instead, it is highly organized in microniches with immune and epithelial cell functions that promote cancer progression. 

/pdf/effect-of-the-intratumoral-microbiota-on-spatial-and-3tx4r1qw.pdf

Effect of the intratumoral microbiota on spatial and cellular heterogeneity in cancer

An inflammatory microenvironment, either conferred by an underlying chronic overt or smoldering inflammatory condition constitutes a prerequisite and fuel to essentially all cancers. The complex reciprocal interplay of different cell types in the tumor microenvironment (TME) determines patient outcome. Apart from the actual tumor cells, local and recruited nonmalignant cells as well as the intestinal microbiome actively shape polarization and plasticity of cells in the TME, thereby augmenting protumorigenic and prometastatic inflammatory processes. Here, we address the universality of inflammation in carcinogenesis, review distinct forms of tumor related inflammation and highlight critical processes in the TME actively sustaining a nurturing incubator for cancer progression and therapy resistance. 

Inflammation: the incubator of the tumor microenvironment.

Key Points Question Is there characteristic microbiota in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tissues and, if so, is it associated with prognosis? Findings In this multicenter cohort study including 802 patients with NPC, we confirmed the existence of microbiota within NPC tissues, which mainly originated from the nasopharynx. Intratumoral bacterial load was associated with poor survival in patients with NPC and was negatively associated with T-lymphocyte infiltration. Meaning The results suggest that the intratumoral bacterial load may be a reliable prognostic indicator for patients with NPC.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/articlepdf/2794337/jamaoncology_qiao_2022_oi_220034_1657553423.93872.pdf

Association of Intratumoral Microbiota With Prognosis in Patients With Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma From 2 Hospitals in China

Targeting the gut microbiota for cancer therapy

Cancer has been a serious public health problem. Berberine is a famous natural compound from medicinal herbs and shows many bioactivities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, and antimicrobial activities. In addition, berberine shows anticancer effects on a variety of cancers, such as breast, lung, gastric, liver, colorectal, ovarian, cervical, and prostate cancers. The underlying mechanisms of action include inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, suppressing metastasis, inducing apoptosis, activating autophagy, regulating gut microbiota, and improving the effects of anticancer drugs. This paper summarizes effectiveness and mechanisms of berberine on different cancers and highlights the mechanisms of action. In addition, the nanotechnologies to improve bioavailability of berberine are included. Moreover, the side effects of berberine are also discussed. This paper is helpful for the prevention and treatment of cancers using berberine.

/pdf/anticancer-effects-and-mechanisms-of-berberine-from-3mr9zulk.pdf

Anticancer Effects and Mechanisms of Berberine from Medicinal Herbs: An Update Review

Tumor-resident intracellular microbiota promotes metastatic colonization in breast cancer

circ2CBA: prediction of circRNA-RBP binding sites combining deep learning and attention mechanism

Viruses spread rapidly and are well-adapted to changing environmental events. They can infect the human body readily and trigger fatal diseases. A limited number of drugs are available for specific viral diseases, which can lead to non-efficacy against viral variants and drug resistance, so drugs with broad-spectrum antiviral activity are lacking. In recent years, a steady stream of new viral diseases has emerged, which has prompted development of new antiviral drugs. Natural products could be employed to develop new antiviral drugs because of their innovative structures and broad antiviral activities. This review summarizes the progress of natural products in antiviral research and their bright performance in drug resistance issues over the past 2 decades. Moreover, it fully discusses the effect of different structural types of natural products on antiviral activity in terms of structure–activity relationships. This review could provide a foundation for the development of antiviral drugs.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fchem.2022.1005360/pdf

Research progress on the antiviral activities of natural products and their derivatives: Structure–activity relationships

Group A rotaviruses of the family Reoviridae is one of the important intestinal pathogens causing diarrhea in piglets and humans. A human-porcine reassortment rotavirus, GDJM1, was identified from outbreak of diarrhea in suckling piglets and it associated with 60.00% (324/540) morbidity and 20.99% (68/324) mortality in Guangdong Province of China in 2022. Thus, to further characterize the evolutionary diversity of GDJM1, all gene segments were analyzed. The genome constellation was G9-P[19]-I5-R1-C1-M1-A8-N1-T1-E1-H1. Nucleotide sequence identity and phylogenetic analyses showed that the VP6, VP7, NSP4 and NSP5 genes of GDJM1 were the most closely related to the respective genes of porcine strains, with the highest homology ranging from 95.65–98.55% identity. The remaining seven genes (VP1-VP4, NSP1-NSP3) were the most closely related to human strains, with the highest homology ranging from 91.83–96.69% similarity. Therefore, it is likely that GDJM1 emerged as the result of genetic reassortment between porcine and human rotaviruses. To our knowledge, this is the first report that a human-porcine reassortment G9P[19] RVA strain has been identified in mainland China, which providing important insights into evolutionary characterization of G9P[19] RVA strain, and reveals that the strain has a potential risk of cross-species transmission.

Emergence of human-porcine reassortment G9P[19] porcine rotavirus A strain in Guangdong Province, China

The uptake, translocation, and subcellular distribution of oxathiapiprolin and famoxadone in tomato plants were investigated using hydroponic experiments. Oxathiapiprolin and famoxadone mainly accumulated in the tomato roots with limited translocation capacity from the roots to the upper part. The root absorption and inhibitor results noted the dominance of the apoplastic and symplastic pathways in the oxathiapiprolin and famoxadone uptake by the tomato roots, respectively. Furthermore, the uptake process for the two fungicides followed passive and aquaporin-dependent transport. Insoluble cell components (cell organelles and walls) were the dominant storage compartments for oxathiapiprolin and famoxadone. In the protoplast, oxathiapiprolin in the soluble fraction had a higher proportion than that of famoxadone. Finally, the uptake and distribution of the two fungicides by the tomato plants was accurately predicted using a partition-limited model. Thus, this study provides an in-depth understanding of the transfer of oxathiapiprolin and famoxadone from the environment to tomato plants.

Yajing Guo

Papers

Tumor-resident intracellular microbiota promotes metastatic colonization in breast cancer

circ2CBA: prediction of circRNA-RBP binding sites combining deep learning and attention mechanism

Research progress on the antiviral activities of natural products and their derivatives: Structure–activity relationships

Emergence of human-porcine reassortment G9P[19] porcine rotavirus A strain in Guangdong Province, China

Uptake, Translocation, and Subcellular Distribution of Oxathiapiprolin and Famoxadone in Tomato Plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Miller).