Microbiota, Epigenetics and drug response in colon cancer

Abstract

Globally, colon cancer is one of the main causes of death, although its death rate has decreased, the incidence in young patients is increasing. This research consists in a descriptive bibliographic review of the relationship of the microbiota, epigenetics and the response to drugs used in colon cancer, elaborated from the bibliographic on-line platform (SIBDI) that the University of Costa Rica makes available to researchers. In addition to that, the objective of this study is to understand the relationship between the microbiota and epigenetics to use that knowledge to optimize pharmacological therapy and predict response to colon cancer drugs. Moreover, as a result: evidence was found that supports that the diet impacts directly in the intestinal microbiota and can have pro or anticancer effects depending on the epigenetic modifications given by the metabolites provided by the types of bacteria present in the gut that can modify drug response. Finally, this research concludes that Colon cancer has a multifactorial origin and it can be affected by genetic events, diet, lifestyle, and microbiotas metabolites. It provides promising search for new ways to associate specific bacteria and changes in colon cancer drug response.