Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
203,203 studies31 sourcesUpdated 43 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Frontiers in Immunology

The emerging role of CRISPR-Cas systems in helicobacter pylori and the gut microbiota as regulators of gastrointestinal cancer risk

  • Muqadas Bhatti1
  • Husna Irfan Thalib2
  • Ammarah Tayyebah2
  • Aleena Zobairi2
  • Nada Dahan3
  • Fatma E. Hassan4,5
5 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Public Health, Bahria University
  2. 2General Medicine Practice Program, Batterjee Medical College
  3. 3School of Medicine, Cardiff University
  4. 4Medical Physiology Department, Kasr Alainy, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University
  5. 5Department of Physiology, General Medicine Practice Program, Batterjee Medical College
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

Gastrointestinal cancers contribute to 26% of global cancer incidence and 35% of deaths, with major contributors such as Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, gut dysbiosis, and lifestyle factors. CRISPR-Cas systems, while best known for their role in bacterial adaptive immunity, also shape bacterial physiology and host–microbe interactions, yet their influence on gastrointestinal carcinogenesis is poorly understood. This review brings together current evidence on the functions of CRISPR-Cas systems in H. pylori and the gut microbiota, highlighting their potential impact on cancer risk, diagnostics, and therapy. Key themes synthesized in this review include their role in bacterial immunity, contributions to microbial imbalance and virulence regulation, and emerging applications in cancer detection, microbiome modulation, and precision oncology. CRISPR profiles are being explored as biomarkers, while engineered systems show promise in targeted editing, phage therapy, and highly sensitive diagnostic platforms such as Cas12a-based assays. Despite this progress, challenges remain, including the risk of off-target effects, technical difficulties in detecting CRISPR signatures within complex microbial communities, and a lack of longitudinal human studies. Overall, CRISPR-Cas systems are emerging as natural regulators of microbial ecology and as engineered tools with potential applications in gastrointestinal cancer research, diagnostics, and precision microbiome interventions.

Related

  1. Detection of Helicobacter pylori in dental plaque among children with gastrointestinal disorders in a hospital-based cross-sectional study
    Mehrzad Sadredinamin, Zahra Jamshidi, Rojin Samani +3
    Scientific ReportsPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Full textSurgery & anaesthesiaCrossref
  2. Cancer-associated fibroblasts: multifaceted regulators of the tumor microenvironment and emerging therapeutic targets
    Jinsong Yu, Han Yang, Xiaofang Zhu
    Frontiers in ImmunologyPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0OncologyCrossref
  3. The Cathepsin Network: Multifaceted Regulators and Emerging Therapeutic Targets in Breast Cancer.
    Ying Chen, Bin Song, YuHui Ma
    Breast cancer (Dove Medical Press)Peer-reviewedCC BY-NCFull textOncologyEurope PMC
  4. Extracorporeal photopheresis for cancer immunotherapy-related gastrointestinal toxicity: emerging clinical evidence.
    Saikat Mandal, Manideepa Maji, Arkadeep Dhali
    Journal for immunotherapy of cancerPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textOncologyEurope PMC
  5. Nucleic Acids as Emerging Regulators of Calcium Phosphate Biomineralization
    Fanny Duhalde, Jessem Landoulsi, Xavier Houard
    FASEB JournalPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textBiophysicsGeneral biologyHAL

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{bhatti2026emerging,
  title = {{The emerging role of CRISPR-Cas systems in helicobacter pylori and the gut microbiota as regulators of gastrointestinal cancer risk}},
  author = {Muqadas Bhatti and Husna Irfan Thalib and Ammarah Tayyebah and Aleena Zobairi and Nada Dahan and Fatma E. Hassan},
  journal = {Frontiers in Immunology},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2026.1889115},
  url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1889115/full},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - The emerging role of CRISPR-Cas systems in helicobacter pylori and the gut microbiota as regulators of gastrointestinal cancer risk
AU  - Muqadas Bhatti
AU  - Husna Irfan Thalib
AU  - Ammarah Tayyebah
AU  - Aleena Zobairi
AU  - Nada Dahan
AU  - Fatma E. Hassan
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/05
JO  - Frontiers in Immunology
DO  - 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1889115
UR  - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1889115/full
AB  - Gastrointestinal cancers contribute to 26% of global cancer incidence and 35% of deaths, with major contributors such as Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, gut dysbiosis, and lifestyle factors. CRISPR-Cas systems, while best known for their role in bacterial adaptive immunity, also shape bacterial physiology and host–microbe interactions, yet their influence on gastrointestinal carcinogenesis is poorly understood. This review brings together current evidence on the functions of CRISPR-Cas systems in H. pylori and the gut microbiota, highlighting their potential impact on cancer risk, diagnostics, and therapy. Key themes synthesized in this review include their role in bacterial immunity, contributions to microbial imbalance and virulence regulation, and emerging applications in cancer detection, microbiome modulation, and precision oncology. CRISPR profiles are being explored as biomarkers, while engineered systems show promise in targeted editing, phage therapy, and highly sensitive diagnostic platforms such as Cas12a-based assays. Despite this progress, challenges remain, including the risk of off-target effects, technical difficulties in detecting CRISPR signatures within complex microbial communities, and a lack of longitudinal human studies. Overall, CRISPR-Cas systems are emerging as natural regulators of microbial ecology and as engineered tools with potential applications in gastrointestinal cancer research, diagnostics, and precision microbiome interventions.
SN  - 1664-3224
ER  -