The Crosstalk between Prostate Cancer and Microbiota Inflammation: Nutraceutical Products Are Useful to Balance This Interplay?

Felice Crocetto,Italo Francesco Angelillo,Marina Di Domenico,Silvia Boffo,Mariarosaria Boccellino,Giovanni Galasso,Erika Di Zazzo,Giuliana Settembre,Antonella Sciarra,Biagio Barone,Lucio Quagliuolo,Ciro Imbimbo

doi:10.3390/nu12092648

Felice Crocetto, Italo Francesco Angelillo + Show 10 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12092648

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Abstract

The human microbiota shows pivotal roles in urologic health and disease. Emerging studies indicate that gut and urinary microbiomes can impact several urological diseases, both benignant and malignant, acting particularly on prostate inflammation and prostate cancer. Indeed, the microbiota exerts its influence on prostate cancer initiation and/or progression mechanisms through the regulation of chronic inflammation, apoptotic processes, cytokines, and hormonal production in response to different pathogenic noxae. Additionally, therapies’ and drugs’ responses are influenced in their efficacy and tolerability by microbiota composition. Due to this complex potential interconnection between prostate cancer and microbiota, exploration and understanding of the involved relationships is pivotal to evaluate a potential therapeutic application in clinical practice. Several natural compounds, moreover, seem to have relevant effects, directly or mediated by microbiota, on urologic health, posing the human microbiota at the crossroad between prostatic inflammation and prostate cancer development. Here, we aim to analyze the most recent evidence regarding the possible crosstalk between prostate, microbiome, and inflammation.

Highlights

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most commonly diagnosed malignancy in men and the fifth leading cause of tumor-associated death worldwide [1].Global estimations are approximating 800,000 new PCa cases and 300,000 deaths per year [2], and this condition poses a significant health concern in the future due to the gradual aging of the Nutrients 2020, 12, 2648; doi:10.3390/nu12092648 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrientsNutrients 2020, 12, 2648 population
The purpose of this study is to summarize and analyze the most recent evidence regarding the possible crosstalk among prostate, microbiota, and inflammation
The prostate is not an organ directly affected by gut microbiota, a wealth of evidence suggests an indirect influence of cytokines and immune changes derived by different bacterial metabolites and gut microbiota modifications

Summary

Introduction

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most commonly diagnosed malignancy in men and the fifth leading cause of tumor-associated death worldwide [1].Global estimations are approximating 800,000 new PCa cases and 300,000 deaths per year [2], and this condition poses a significant health concern in the future due to the gradual aging of the Nutrients 2020, 12, 2648; doi:10.3390/nu12092648 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrientsNutrients 2020, 12, 2648 population. Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most commonly diagnosed malignancy in men and the fifth leading cause of tumor-associated death worldwide [1]. Global estimations are approximating 800,000 new PCa cases and 300,000 deaths per year [2], and this condition poses a significant health concern in the future due to the gradual aging of the Nutrients 2020, 12, 2648; doi:10.3390/nu12092648 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients. Family history, African descent, advanced age, diet, and environment are well-established risk factors for PCa development. The relevant pathways accounting for PCa development are not fully clarified [3,4,5]. Recent studies have hypothesized a crucial role of microenvironment, infections, inflammation, and cytoskeletal changes induced by steroid integrating signals [6,7], influencing patients’ outcomes and the rationale for the immunological treatment of PCa [8,9,10,11,12]

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