Specific vaginal and gut microbiome and the anti-tumor effect of butyrate in cervical cancer women

Sep 21, 2026

Objective: Investigate changes in vaginal and gut microbes during cervical carcinogenesis and assess the diagnostic value, while evaluating the effect of the microbiome-specific metabolite butyric on cervical cancer cells. Methods: Analyze 416 vaginal and 116 gut 16S rRNA sequencing datasets using VSEARCH, diversity indices, LEfSe, co-abundance networks, KEGG enrichment, and random-forest models for genus-based discrimination; measure proliferation via CCK-8 and apoptosis/cell cycle by flow cytometry. Results: Cancer patients show distinct vaginal and gut community signatures with high diagnostic accuracy; butyric suppresses proliferation and promotes apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: Significant microbe differences support genus-level predictive models with diagnostic utility, and butyric targeting may offer therapeutic options.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages11

Reading Time28 min

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Objective

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Introduction

Translational Oncology 44 (2024) 101902 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Translational Oncology journal [homepage:](homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/tranon)[ www.elsevier.com/locate/tranon](homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/tranon) | Original Research
Specific vaginal and gut microbiome and the anti-tumor effect of butyrate in cervical cancer women
Mengzhen Hana, Na Wang a, Wenjie Hana, Xiaolin Liu b, Tao Sun c, Junnan Xuc, *
a Department of Breast Medicine, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital, Shenyang 110000, China b Liaoning Microhealth Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shanlin Road, Dadong District, Shenyang 110000, China
c Department of Breast Medicine, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning Cancer Hospital, Shenyang 110000, China | | | | --- | --- | --- | | A R T I C L E I N F O | | A B S T R A C T | | Keywords: Cervical cancer 16S rRNA Vaginal
Gut Butyrate ROC | | Objective: To investigate the vaginal and gut microbes changes during the carcinogenesis of cervical and the auxiliary diagnostic value. To investigate the effect of microbiome-specific metabolites butyric on cervical cancer cells.
Methods: We studied 416 vaginal 16S rRNA sequencing data and 116 gut sequencing data. Reads were processed using VSEARCH. We used Shannon index, Chao1 index, Simpson diversity index, β diversity index, Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size (LEfSe), co-abundance network and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis to explore microbiome differences between groups. We constructed random forest models based on genus and verified its discriminant effect. Finally, we used the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) method to detect cell proliferation capacity and flow cytometry to detect apoptosis and induction of cell cycle progression.
Results: Compared to the non-cancerous population, patients with cervical cancer had unique microbial community characteristics in both vaginal and gut ecological niches. Our predictive model based on genus in two ecological regions achieved high accuracy in the diagnosis of cervical cancer (vaginal model AUC=91.58 %; gut model AUC=99.95 %). Butyric inhibited cervical cancer cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner and promoted apoptosis of cancer cells.
Conclusion: Significant differences were found in vaginal and gut microbes in patients with cervical cancer compared to the non-cancerous population. The prediction models constructed at the genus level in both ecological sites have good diagnostic value. Microorganisms may be involved in cervical cancer progression in ametabolite-dependent way, and targeting butyric may provide therapeutic options for cervical cancer. | Introduction Cervical cancer is a serious threat to women’s health. Its incidence and mortality rate are consistently among the top gynecologic malignancies [1], but vary widely in developed and developing countries. Microorganisms present in the vagina can influence host-related physiological processes, resident flora can prevent or hinder many urinary tract and sexually transmitted diseases [2,3]. Dysbiosis of vaginal microbes (VM), on the other hand, decreases cervicovaginal barrier function [4], increases adhesion, invasion and colonization by abnormal flora, alters metabolic profile and is associated with increased risk of inflammation, human papilloma virus (HPV) infection, premature birth, miscarriage and even gynecological cancers [5]. There is also a strong correlation between gut microbes (GM) and gynecologic diseases. GM can regulate the estrogenic enterohepatic cycle [6], which affects target organs such as the breast and cervix [7]. There is increasing evidence that GM also play an important role in cervical carcinogenesis, participating in tumorigenesis, treatment, and prognosis. GM may also indirectly influence cervical carcinogenesis by affecting VM. First of all, the gut may be the origin of

FAQs

What study aims to determine about cervical cancer?

The study investigates how vaginal and gut microbial communities change during cervical carcinogenesis and evaluates the auxiliary diagnostic value of these changes. It also tests the anti-tumor effect of butyric on cervical cancer cells.

Which datasets and analyses are used in the methods?

It studies 416 vaginal 16S rRNA sequencing data and 116 gut sequencing data, processed using VSEARCH. Diversity indices, LEfSe, co-abundance networks, KEGG enrichment, and genus-level random forest models are used, followed by CCK-8 and flow cytometry assays.

How accurate are the diagnostic models, and what is the effect of butyric?

Genus-based models show high diagnostic performance: the vaginal model AUC is 91.58% and the gut model AUC is 99.95%. Butyric inhibits cervical cancer cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner and promotes apoptosis.

Sep 21, 2026

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