Oral microbiota and gastric cancer: recent highlights and knowledge gaps

J Oral Microbiol. 2024 Aug 16;16(1):2391640. doi: 10.1080/20002297.2024.2391640. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide and has a high mortality rate. However, tests for the early screening and diagnosis of gastric cancer are limited and invasive. Certain oral microorganisms are over-expressed in gastric cancer, but there is heterogeneity among different studies. Notably, each oral ecological niche harbors specific microorganisms. Among them, tongue coating, saliva, and dental plaque are important and unique ecological niches in the oral cavity. The colonization environment in different oral niches may be a source of heterogeneity. In this paper, we systematically discuss the latest developments in the field of the oral microbiota and gastric cancer and elucidate the enrichment of microorganisms in the oral ecological niches of the tongue coatings, saliva, and dental plaque in gastric cancer patients. The various potential mechanisms by which the oral microbiota induces gastric cancer (activation of an excessive inflammatory response; promotion of proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis; and secretion of carcinogens, leading to imbalance in gastric microbial communities) are explored. In this paper, we also highlight the applications of the rapeutics targeting the oral microbiota in gastric cancer and suggests future research directions related to the relationship between the oral microbiota and gastric cancer.

Keywords: Oral microbiota; carcinogenesis; diagnosis; gastric cancer; oral niches.

Publication types

  • Review

Grants and funding

This work was supported by National Key R&D Program of China [2021YFA0910100], National Natural Science Foundation of China [82374544, 82204828, 92259302, 82074245], Healthy Zhejiang One Million People Cohort [K-20230085], Program of Zhejiang Provincial TCM Sci-tech Plan [GZY-ZJ-KJ-230003, GZY-ZJ-KJ-23048], Medical Science and Technology Project of Zhejiang Province [2022KY114], Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province [LR24H290001], [HDMY22H160008], Medical Science and Technology Project of Zhejiang Province [2018KY305, 2021KY582].