Instability in the composition of gut bacterial communities (dysbiosis) has been linked to common human intestinal disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer; however, it is unclear if dysbiosis can instigate disease or if it is a consequence of the underlying disorder. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation , researchers led by Mathias Chamaillard at the University Lille Nord de France in Lille, France, examined intestinal inflammation and tumorigenesis in a mouse model of dysbiosis. Dysbiosis enhanced intestinal inflammation and increased the risk for inflammation-associated colon cancer. Treatment with antibiotics or transplantation of fecal material from normal mice reduced disease risk and instigated long-term, beneficial alterations in intestinal bacteria. Conversely, transplantation of normal mice with dysbiotic fecal material increased intestinal inflammation and enhanced the risk of inflammation-associated colon cancer. These results demonstrate that gut bacterial communities play an integral role in protecting against intestinal inflammation and associated tumorigenesis.
TITLE:
NOD2-mediated dysbiosis predisposes mice to transmissible colitis and colorectal cancer
AUTHOR CONTACT:
Mathias Chamaillard
Inserm, Lille, , FRA
Phone: +33359317427; Fax: +33359317480; E-mail: mathias.chamaillard@inserm.fr
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/62236?key=555e9b1899800b97fd0b
Journal of Clinical Investigation