Probiotics and their role in gastrointestinal cancers prevention and treatment: An overview

Cancers of the gastrointestinal (GI) track are a serious global health problem. The human GI tract is home to trillions of
microorganisms that known as gut microbiota and have established a symbiotic relationship with the host. The human intestinal
microbiota plays an important role in the development of the gut immune system, metabolism, nutrition absorption, production of
short-chain fatty acids and essential vitamins, resistance to pathogenic microorganisms, and modulates a normal immunological
response. Microbiota imbalance has been involved in many disorders including inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, asthma,
psychiatric illnesses, and cancers. Oral administration of probiotics seems to play a protective role against cancer development as a
kind of functional foods. Moreover, clinical application of probiotics has shown that some probiotic strains can reduce the incidence
of post-operative inflammation in cancer patients. In the present narrative review, we carried out update knowledge on probiotic
effects and underlying mechanism to GI cancers. Currently, it is accept that most commercial probiotic products are generally safe
and can used as a supplement for cancer prevention and treatment. Nevertheless, well-designed, randomized, double blind, placebocontrolled
human studies are required to gain the acceptance of the potential probiotics as an alternative therapy for cancer control..
Keywords: Probiotic, Prebiotics, Gastrointestinal cancer, Gut microbiota.
(Please cite as: Javanmard A, Ashtari S, Sabet B, Davoodi SH, Rostami-Nejad M, Akbari ME, et al. Probiotics and
their role in gastrointestinal cancers prevention and treatment; an overview. Gastroenterol Hepatol Bed Bench
2018;11(4):284-295).