Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41580562›Full record

ArticleCell biology and toxicology2026

Gut microbiota metabolites positively impacts chemotherapy effects in colorectal cancer.

Sara Gomes, Sara Granja, Luana A Osório, Ruth E Mackay, Fátima Baltazar, Elisabete Silva, Ana Preto

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cell biology and toxicology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
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

7 authors.

Sara GomesCBMA - Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-054, Braga, Portugal.
Sara GranjaREQUIMTE/LAQV, ESS, Polytechnic of Porto, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal.
Luana A OsórioDepartment of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, Brunel University, London, UK.
Ruth E MackayDepartment of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, Brunel University, London, UK.
Fátima BaltazarSchool of Medicine, ICVS - Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
Elisabete SilvaDepartment of Life Sciences, Brunel University, London, UK.
Ana PretoCBMA - Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-054, Braga, Portugal. apreto@bio.uminho.pt.

Funding

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia COVID/BD/152995/2022Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia PTDC/QUIQIN/28662/2017,
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, largely due to late-stage diagnosis and limited efficacy of current therapies. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is the standard chemotherapeutic agent used in CRC treatment; however, its effectiveness is often hampered by resistance, toxicity, and suboptimal outcomes in advanced-stage tumors. Recent evidence suggests that gut microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) exert anticancer effects and may hold promise as therapeutic adjuvants. In this study, we investigated the potential of a physiologically relevant mixture of SCFAs to enhance the efficacy of 5-FU against CRC. Using a combination of 2D monolayer cultures, 3D models, and the in vivo chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay, we demonstrated that SCFAs positively affect the antitumor effects of low-dose 5-FU. SCFAs contributed to the inhibition of CRC cell growth, proliferation, survival, and migration, with an overall increase of the anti-tumour effects observed across the different models. The combined treatment led to a significant reduction in tumour size in the CAM assay, contributing for an improvement of the effects of 5-FU alone. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing that physiologically relevant SCFA combinations can be harnessed to improve the therapeutic index of 5-FU in CRC, in a context-dependent manner. These findings support the development of microbiota-targeted co-adjuvant strategies to optimize CRC chemotherapy, reduce treatment toxicity, and improve patient outcomes, which is important given the clinical interest in microbiome-chemotherapy interactions.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic AgentsColorectal NeoplasmsFatty Acids, VolatileFluorouracilGastrointestinal MicrobiomeAnimalsCell Line, TumorCell MovementCell ProliferationCell SurvivalHumansAntineoplastic AgentsFatty Acids, VolatileFluorouracil5-fluorouracil (5-FU)ChemotherapyColorectal cancer (CRC)Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA)

Identifiers

PMID41580562
PMCPMC12855361

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.