Understanding the Relation Between Lynch Syndrome and the Oral and Fecal Microbiota
The Colon Cancer Foundation (CCF) spoke with Alessandro Mannucci, MD, who received the 2022 Colon Cancer Foundation and CGA-IGC Colorectal Cancer Research Scholar Award to present his work at the 2022 CGA-IGC Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN, November 11-13. Dr. Mannucci, a medical resident in gastroenterology and gastrointestinal endoscopy at the San Raffael Hospital, Milan, Italy, will be presenting his work titled ‘Lynch Syndrome is Associated with Fecal and Salivary Dysbiosis’.
CCF: What is the importance of the gut and the microbial flora in the human body, and how do they influence our well-being?
Dr. Mannucci: Broadly speaking, the microbiota is made up of many different cell types, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other kinds of microorganisms. However, our study specifically focused on bacteria because it is known that we have way more bacteria in our body than human cells. That alone indicates the significant impact of the microbiome on different phases of our life—from childhood to adulthood.
The disruption of a healthy microbiome equilibrium causes the components of the microbiome to converge toward a proinflammatory environment in several ways. Certain species increase the risk of colorectal cancer [CRC]. Organisms that increase in numbers in the presence of CRC are generally proinflammatory. This understanding has come simultaneously with the realization that inflammation is one of the new pillars of cancer. The inflammatory environment is a disruption that is particularly important when studying the colon because the colon is the first organ in direct contact with the microbiome.
Read the full interview here