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Author Spotlight: Transmitochondrial Cybrid Generation Using Cancer Cell Lines
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Bacterial infection increases risk of carcinogenesis by targeting mitochondria

Jesper A B Strickertsson1, Claus Desler1, Lene Juel Rasmussen1

  • 1Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.

Seminars in Cancer Biology
|July 30, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Bacterial infections are linked to cancer. This review explores how bacteria target mitochondria, affecting DNA and cell death pathways, which mirrors cancer cell behavior and suggests bacteria are a cancer risk factor.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Cancer Biology
  • Mitochondrial Biology

Background:

  • A significant portion of global cancers are linked to microbial infections.
  • Understanding the interplay between bacterial infections and cancer development is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review how bacteria target mitochondrial functions relevant to cancer.
  • To compare bacterial effects on mitochondria with mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on bacterial virulence factors and mitochondrial pathways.
  • Comparative analysis of mitochondrial alterations induced by bacteria versus those in cancer.

Main Results:

  • Bacterial virulence factors can induce mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations and alter mitochondrial DNA repair.
  • Bacteria can modulate the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, impacting cell death.
  • Bacterial effects on mitochondria resemble mitochondrial behavior in various tumors.

Conclusions:

  • Bacterial interference with mitochondrial genomic stability and apoptosis is analogous to cancer processes.
  • Targeting mitochondria by bacteria is a potential risk factor for carcinogenesis.
Keywords:
Bacterial infectionCancerDNA repairMicrobiomeMitochondrial functionMitochondrial targetingMutations

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