title: Bacterial protein toxins in human cancers.
abstract: Many bacteria causing persistent infections produce toxins whose mechanisms of action indicate that they could have a role in carcinogenesis. Some toxins, like CDT and colibactin, directly attack the genome by damaging DNA whereas others, as for example CNF1, CagA and BFT, impinge on key eukaryotic processes, such as cellular signalling and cell death. These bacterial toxins, together with other less known toxins, mimic carcinogens and tumour promoters. The aim of this review is to fulfil an up-to-date analysis of toxins with carcinogenic potential that have been already correlated to human cancers. Bacterial toxins-induced carcinogenesis represents an emerging aspect in bacteriology, and its significance is increasingly recognized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Therapeutic Research and Medicines Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rosadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Therapeutic Research and Medicines Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fiorentini
authors.affiliation: Department of Therapeutic Research and Medicines Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy alessia.fabbri@iss.it.
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fabbri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000378:metabolism*; D063646:Carcinogenesis; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D002273:Carcinogens
keywords: DNA damage; bacterial toxins; cancer; cell signalling; cell survival; microbiota