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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Cells

Porphyromonas gingivalis Promotes Glioma Progression via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway

  • Mengyao Leng1
  • Xiuhong Weng1
  • Jingyi Luo1
  • Chenxing Hou1
  • Simin Wang1
  • Zhiqiang Li2
  • Bo Cheng1
  1. 1Department of Stomatology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071, China
  2. 2Department of Neurosurgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071, China
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Abstract

Glioma is the most prevalent and aggressive brain tumor with high recurrence rates and poor survival. Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), a major periodontal pathogen, has emerged as a potential contributor to neurological diseases. However, whether P. gingivalis is present in glioma tissues and directly promotes malignant progression remains unclear. Here, immunohistochemistry detected gingipain in 11 of 13 human glioma specimens, while fluorescence in situ hybridization further detected P. gingivalis-targeted 16S rRNA signals in 3 of 13 specimens. These findings support the presence of P. gingivalis-associated signals in human glioma tissues. In cellular models, P. gingivalis invaded glioblastoma cells and promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through induction of mesenchymal transition and extracellular matrix remodeling, thereby accelerating glioma progression. In a mouse xenograft model, P. gingivalis inoculation enhanced tumor growth and was associated with changes in proliferation, mesenchymal transition, and ECM remodeling-related markers. Mechanistically, P. gingivalis activated the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, while pharmacological AKT inhibition (AKTi-1/2) effectively suppressed these tumor-promoting effects. Metronidazole treatment also reduced tumor growth in vivo. Collectively, these findings identify P. gingivalis as a potential microbial contributor to glioma malignant progression and support further investigation of host–microbe interactions and AKT signaling as potential avenues for therapeutic research.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{leng2026porphyromonas,
  title = {{Porphyromonas gingivalis Promotes Glioma Progression via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway}},
  author = {Mengyao Leng and Xiuhong Weng and Jingyi Luo and Chenxing Hou and Simin Wang and Zhiqiang Li and Bo Cheng},
  journal = {Cells},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3390/cells15211998},
  url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/15/21/1998},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Porphyromonas gingivalis Promotes Glioma Progression via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway
AU  - Mengyao Leng
AU  - Xiuhong Weng
AU  - Jingyi Luo
AU  - Chenxing Hou
AU  - Simin Wang
AU  - Zhiqiang Li
AU  - Bo Cheng
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/31
JO  - Cells
DO  - 10.3390/cells15211998
UR  - https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/15/21/1998
AB  - Glioma is the most prevalent and aggressive brain tumor with high recurrence rates and poor survival. Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), a major periodontal pathogen, has emerged as a potential contributor to neurological diseases. However, whether P. gingivalis is present in glioma tissues and directly promotes malignant progression remains unclear. Here, immunohistochemistry detected gingipain in 11 of 13 human glioma specimens, while fluorescence in situ hybridization further detected P. gingivalis-targeted 16S rRNA signals in 3 of 13 specimens. These findings support the presence of P. gingivalis-associated signals in human glioma tissues. In cellular models, P. gingivalis invaded glioblastoma cells and promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through induction of mesenchymal transition and extracellular matrix remodeling, thereby accelerating glioma progression. In a mouse xenograft model, P. gingivalis inoculation enhanced tumor growth and was associated with changes in proliferation, mesenchymal transition, and ECM remodeling-related markers. Mechanistically, P. gingivalis activated the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, while pharmacological AKT inhibition (AKTi-1/2) effectively suppressed these tumor-promoting effects. Metronidazole treatment also reduced tumor growth in vivo. Collectively, these findings identify P. gingivalis as a potential microbial contributor to glioma malignant progression and support further investigation of host–microbe interactions and AKT signaling as potential avenues for therapeutic research.
SN  - 2073-4409
ER  -