Fig. 3
From: Gastrointestinal cancer resistance to treatment: the role of microbiota
Mechanisms of Bacteroides fragilis in colon carcinogenesis. BFT toxin is considered the main agent in ETBF carcinogenesis in colonic epithelium. This toxin stimulates β catenin by cutting E-cadherin, which leads to cellular proliferation. BFT also promote Th17 lymphocytes polarization, activation NF-κB, producing chemokines that recruit MDSC. This results immune evasion and promote carcinogenesis. BFT: Bacteroides fragilis toxin; ETBF: Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis; E-cadherin: Epithelial cadherin; NF-κB: Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells; MDSC: Myeloid-derived suppressor cell