Microbiota does not influence tumor development in two models of heritable cancer

TL;DR

This study finds that gut microbes do not affect the development of two types of inherited cancers in mice.

Contribution

The study is the first to show that microbiota does not influence heritable cancers distant from the gut.

Findings

Microbiota has no effect on tumor development in Trp53-deficient mice.

The microbiome does not influence cancer in Wnt1-transgenic mice.

Heritable cancers driven by germline mutations are unaffected by gut microbes.

Abstract

Microbial impact on tumorigenesis of heritable cancers proximal to the gut is well-documented. Whether the microbiota influences cancers arising from inborn mutations at sites distal to the gut is undetermined. Using two models of heritable cancer, Trp53-deficient mice and Wnt1-transgenic mice, and a gnotobiotic approach, we found the microbiota to be inconsequential for tumor development. This work furthers our understanding of the degree of the microbial impact on tumor development.

The influence of the microbiome on the development of cancer is well-documented with many if not all published studies reporting either a positive or a negative impact. None of the published studies, however, presented data on the influence of the microbiome on the development of heritable cancer. We find that the microbiota has no influence on cancer development in two models of spontaneous cancers driven by germline Trp53 deficiency and constitutive Wnt1 signaling.

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