Evidence mapPaperPMID 40409349Full record

ArticleGut microbes2025

Indole-3-lactic acid suppresses colorectal cancer via metabolic reprogramming.

Shizhen Zhou, Kai Wang, Jiandong Huang, Zhen Xu, Qinggang Yuan, Lixiang Liu, Zhifeng Wang, Ji Miao, Hao Wang, Tingting Wang and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Gut microbes, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

19 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
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  4. Gut microbiota in health and disease.Molecular biomedicine · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Shizhen ZhouDepartment of General Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.ORCID 0000-0001-8678-9855
Kai WangThe State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Division of Immunology, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Jiandong Huang01life Institute, Shenzhen, China.
Zhen XuThe State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Division of Immunology, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Qinggang YuanDepartment of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, China.
Lixiang LiuDepartment of General Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Zhifeng Wang01life Institute, Shenzhen, China.
Ji MiaoDepartment of General Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Hao WangDepartment of General Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Tingting WangThe State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Division of Immunology, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Wenxian GuanDepartment of General Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Chao DingDepartment of General Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Research indicates that abnormal gut microbiota metabolism is linked to colorectal cancer (CRC) progression, but the role of microbiota-related tryptophan metabolism disruption remains unclear. Using metagenomic sequencing and targeted Trp metabolomics, our research identified that CRC patients had abnormal indole-3-lactic acid (ILA) levels, which were related to tumor malignancy. Exogenous ILA administration suppressed CRC development in AOM/DSS induced and xenograft mice models. Furthermore, in vitro experiments demonstrated that ILA inhibits tumor cell proliferation, migration, and anti-apoptotic capabilities. Mechanistically, ILA appears to directly occupy the phosphorylation sites of STAT3, leading to a reduction in intracellular phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3) levels and the inhibition of the HK2 pathway, thereby downregulating glucose metabolism in cancer cells. Notably, this inhibition is independent of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). In conclusion, our research findings demonstrate that alterations in tryptophan metabolism among CRC patients can influence tumor progression and reveal a novel mechanism through which ILA exerts its inhibitory effects on CRC. These findings offer new insights into the role of gut microbiota in CRC and identify potential clinical therapeutic targets.

Indexed as

Colorectal NeoplasmsIndolesAnimalsApoptosisCell Line, TumorCell MovementCell ProliferationFemaleGastrointestinal MicrobiomeHumansMaleMetabolic ReprogrammingMiceReceptors, Aryl HydrocarbonSTAT3 Transcription FactorTryptophanindole-3-lactic acidIndolesReceptors, Aryl HydrocarbonSTAT3 protein, humanSTAT3 Transcription FactorTryptophancolorectal cancerglycolysisHK2Indole-3-lactic acidP-STAT3

Identifiers

PMID40409349
PMCPMC12118437

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.