Microbial Genotoxins as Emerging Drivers of Cancer: Mechanisms, Detection, and Therapeutic Opportunities

Shah Jamal Sarmad; Faiqa Shakeel; Anam Munir; Abu Bakar Murtaza; Tehniat Shoukat; Shoaib Ghaffar; Amna Noor; Amina Tariq

doi:10.70749/ijbr.v3i8.2218

Authors

Shah Jamal Sarmad Institute of Microbiology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore, Pakistan
Faiqa Shakeel Faculty of Engineering and Science (FES), University of Greenwich, England, UK
Anam Munir PhD Microbiology University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan
Abu Bakar Murtaza Department of LUMS Learning Institute, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
Tehniat Shoukat Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Pakistan
Shoaib Ghaffar Center of Excellence in Solid State Physics, University of The Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
Amna Noor Department of Pathology, Rawalpindi Medical University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Amina Tariq Department of Microbiology and Molecular genetics, University of Okara, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v3i8.2218

Keywords:

Microbial genotoxins, cancer, Aflatoxin, DNA lesions, carcinogenics

Abstract

Through DNA damage, disruption of repair pathways, and chronic inflammation, microbial genotoxins found in bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites are important causes of cancer. Their taxonomic diversity, molecular mechanisms, and functions in forming mutational signatures linked to cancer are summarized in this review. Fungal aflatoxins, viral proteins like HPV E6/E7, and bacterial genotoxins like colibactin and cytolethal distending toxin cause unique DNA lesions, such as double-strand breaks and adducts, that lead to oncogenic changes. These genotoxins create pro-carcinogenic microenvironments by enhancing oxidative stress, disrupting DNA repair, and dysregulating cell cycle checkpoints. Genotoxin signatures can be precisely identified thanks to advanced detection techniques like proteomics, whole-genome sequencing, and genotoxicity assays. Promising interventions include DNA repair enhancement therapies and preventive measures like vaccination, microbiome modification, and toxin inhibitors. The review promotes public health measures to lower genotoxin exposure and emphasizes translational implications for precision oncology, such as early detection and risk stratification. To mitigate genotoxin-driven cancers, interdisciplinary research is necessary to bridge knowledge gaps, such as establishing causation in human cohorts and developing long-term infection models.

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