Lactobacillus rhamnosus-Derived Postbiotics Inhibit Proliferation, Invasion, and EMT-Associated Signaling in...

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Oncology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Probiotics and their metabolites, known as postbiotics, are increasingly recognized for their potential anticancer properties.
• Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a significant global health challenge, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of postbiotics derived from Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LR) on colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines.
• To evaluate the impact of LR postbiotics on CRC cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

Main Methods:

• Sterile culture filtrates of Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LR) were applied to SW480 and SW480-I5 (highly invasive) CRC cell lines.
• Assays were performed to assess cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and EMT-associated signaling pathways.

Main Results:

• LR-derived postbiotics significantly reduced CRC cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion in a dose-dependent manner.
• LR treatment promoted apoptosis and downregulated key EMT markers (ZEB2, Snail, Twist, N-cadherin, Vimentin) and MMP3 expression in CRC cells.
• The inhibitory effects on malignant phenotypes were particularly pronounced in the highly invasive SW480-I5 cell line.

Conclusions:

• Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LR)-derived postbiotics demonstrate significant inhibitory effects against colorectal cancer (CRC) cell malignant characteristics.
• These findings highlight the potential of LR postbiotics as promising adjunctive agents for modulating colorectal cancer progression.