Authors
Pengyu Chen, Qian Geng, Wenyu Zhu, Hua Jiang
Published in
Gut pathogens. Volume 18. Issue 1. Apr 21, 2026. Epub Apr 21, 2026.
Abstract
Liver metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a major clinical challenge, closely linked to poor prognosis and limited therapeutic efficacy. Emerging evidence implicates the gut microbiota in orchestrating the formation and maturation of the hepatic pre-metastatic niche (PMN) through the gut-liver axis.
Dysbiosis-induced disruption of intestinal barrier integrity facilitates microbial translocation, which triggers hepatic inflammation, immune suppression, metabolic reprogramming, and vascular remodelling, together creating a permissive soil for metastatic seeding. Among pathogenic taxa, Fusobacterium nucleatum has emerged as a key driver because it persistently colonises both primary tumours and hepatic metastases while modulating immunotolerance and chemoresistance. Therapeutically, narrow-spectrum antimicrobial approaches that target pro-metastatic taxa show promise for safely and selectively correcting microbiota-mediated PMN formation. In addition, faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors and anti-angiogenic therapy has yielded encouraging responses in refractory metastatic CRC by boosting anti-tumour immunity and restoring hepatic microvascular architecture.
Future research should integrate multidimensional biomarker assessment with personalised, microbiota-based therapeutic frameworks to achieve effective and durable prevention of CRC liver metastasis.
PMID:
42015288
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 12 Jul 2026.
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