Microbiota-Derived Corisin Is Elevated in Early Cervical Neoplasia and Drives Pathogenic Cellular Programs

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Microbiology
• Gynecology

Background:

• Cervical cancer is a significant global health issue, especially in developing nations.
• Persistent human papillomavirus infection drives cervical cancer, but host factors like immune status and microbiome imbalance also play a role.
• Corisin, a peptide from the microbiota, is linked to tissue damage and fibrosis, but its function in cervical neoplasia is unstudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of corisin in cervical neoplasia.
• To measure circulating corisin levels in women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) or cervical cancer.
• To examine corisin's presence in cervical tumor tissues and its effects on cancer cells.

Main Methods:

• Measured circulating corisin levels in 27 patients with CIN or cervical cancer and 15 healthy controls.
• Utilized immunohistochemistry to detect corisin in cervical carcinoma tissues.
• Assessed corisin's biological effects on HeLa cells in vitro.

Main Results:

• Circulating corisin levels were significantly higher in patients with CIN and cervical cancer compared to healthy individuals.
• Elevated corisin levels correlated with disease severity, peaking in CIN3 and squamous cell carcinoma.
• Corisin was found within cervical tumor tissues and induced mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in HeLa cells.

Conclusions:

• Corisin is elevated early in cervical neoplasia and present in the tumor microenvironment.
• Corisin may contribute to cellular processes driving cervical cancer progression.
• Further research into corisin's role could offer new therapeutic targets for cervical cancer.