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Updated: Sep 29, 2025
Infecting Mice with Malassezia spp. to Study the Fungus-Host Interaction
Published on: November 6, 2019
Malassezia in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Accomplice of Evoking Tumorigenesis
Qiyu Yang1, Jing Ouyang2, Damao Pi3
1Department of Radiation Oncology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China.
Abstract:
Accumulating evidence indicates that patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a significantly higher risk of developing different cancers, while the exact mechanism involved is not yet fully understood. Malassezia is a lipid-dependent opportunistic yeast, which colonizes on mammalian skin and internal organs. Also, dysbiosis in fungal communities accompanied by high level of Malassezia are fairly common in inflammatory diseases such as IBD and various cancers. In cancer patients, higher levels of Malassezia are associated with worse prognosis. Once it is ablated in tumor-bearing mice, their prognostic conditions will be improved. Moreover, Malassezia manifests multiple proinflammatory biological properties, such as destruction of epithelial barrier, enrichment of inflammatory factors, and degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM), all of which have been reported to contribute to tumor initiation and malignant progression. Based on these facts, we hypothesize that high levels of Malassezia together with mycobiome dysbiosis in patients with IBD, would aggravate the microecological imbalance, worsen the inflammatory response, and further promote tumorigenesis and deterioration. Herein, we will discuss the detrimental properties of Malassezia and explore the key role of this fungus in the correlation between IBD and cancer, in order to take early surveillance and intervention to minimize the cancer risk in individuals with IBD.
Insights
High levels of Malassezia yeast in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients may increase cancer risk by worsening inflammation and gut dysbiosis. Ablating Malassezia improved outcomes in mice, suggesting therapeutic potential.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Gastroenterology
- Oncology
Background:
- Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) exhibit an elevated risk of developing various cancers, with underlying mechanisms requiring further elucidation.
- Malassezia, an opportunistic yeast, is implicated in inflammatory diseases like IBD and cancers, often correlating with poorer prognoses in cancer patients.
- Malassezia possesses pro-inflammatory properties, including epithelial barrier disruption and extracellular matrix degradation, which can promote tumor initiation and progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of Malassezia and mycobiome dysbiosis in the heightened cancer risk observed in IBD patients.
- To discuss the detrimental effects of Malassezia and its contribution to the IBD-cancer correlation.
- To explore potential early surveillance and intervention strategies for minimizing cancer risk in IBD individuals.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and hypothesis formulation based on existing evidence regarding Malassezia, IBD, and cancer.
- Analysis of Malassezia's biological properties, including its impact on epithelial barriers, inflammation, and extracellular matrix.
- Review of studies on mycobiome dysbiosis in IBD and cancer patients.
Main Results:
- Elevated Malassezia levels and mycobiome dysbiosis are common in IBD and cancer.
- Malassezia ablation improved prognostic conditions in tumor-bearing mice.
- Malassezia contributes to inflammation and tissue degradation, factors associated with tumorigenesis.
Conclusions:
- High Malassezia levels in IBD patients may exacerbate microecological imbalance and inflammation, promoting tumorigenesis.
- Understanding Malassezia's role is crucial for addressing the IBD-cancer link.
- Targeting Malassezia could offer a strategy for early cancer risk reduction in IBD patients.
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