Lactobacillus in cancer therapy: A critical mechanistic review

Globally, cancer continues to be the primary cause of cancer-related mortality. The number of individuals experiencing neoplastic syndrome is still rising, despite the recent focus on cancer therapy. Fighting cancer has proven difficult because of the various characteristics of cancer cells and their capacity to elude the immune system, even with significant advancements in the field of cancer therapy. The cornerstones of cancer treatment are radiation and chemotherapy. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy have serious side effects that restrict their use. Probiotics—live microorganisms—improve host immunity.Numerous studies have demonstrated the critical role of probiotics play in gut health, particularly in preventing and managing of cancer and other diseases. Probiotics modify the immune system and cellular reactions by improving the barrier between cells and promoting the synthesis of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticarcinogenic substances, which lowers the incidence and spread of cancer. According to recent studies, taking supplements of probiotics has a beneficial effect on patients, reducing their cancer symptoms and shortening the duration of their illness.For years, researchers have been interested in lactobacillus, a genus of Gram-positive microbes that are naturally present in fermented food products and are employed as probiotics. Lactobacillus is a powerful source of bioactive substances with a variety of functions and activities, even if their exact nature is still unknown. The promising anticancer potential has been found in Lactobacillus metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids, exoPS, and bacteriocins. Studies examining the relationship between immunological systems and Lactobacillus bioactive metabolites have shown that these compounds have substantial immunomodulatory effects, which explains their wide range of therapeutic applications. Lactobacillus has been shown to have anticancer action against cancer cells from a variety of malignancies in both vitro and animal models. Through several mechanisms, such as the activation of antiproliferative activity, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, antiangiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antimutagenic actions, lactobacillus inhibits the formation of tumours. With a focus on the most promising bioactive substances with potential for clinical use, this narrative review attempts to present a thorough summary of the most recent findings about Lactobacillus's anticancer activity. Furthermore, the several processes that Lactobacillus uses to prevent and treat cancer are the main emphasis of this review.