Bacteria in neoplastic diseases: A brief note on Wilms tumor

Abstract

Bacteria can be involved in the pathological processes of cancer in different manners - for instance, as an etiological factor or predisposing factor, in secondary infection, as well as modified bacteria or bacterial products in cancer treatment. The bacterial etiological connection or its role as a predisposing factor is mainly relevant to adult cancers, which are primarily associated with individual lifestyles and/or environmental issues. In contrast, genetic abnormalities are perhaps linked with tumorigenesis in the pediatric age group. Nonetheless, secondary infections significantly affect morbidity and mortality among pediatric cancer patients in spite of precautionary measures. On the other hand, bacterial products, i.e., toxins, are potential molecules for targeted cancer therapy. These therapeutic agents have two parts: Usually a receptor-binding antibody (e.g., anti-HER2 antibody) and a toxin (e.g., Pseudomonas exotoxin A). Similarly, several investigators have been trying to develop therapeutic approaches that target Wilms tumor 1 protein, whose dysregulation is thought to be fundamentally responsible for the pathogenesis of Wilms tumor, the most common kidney tumor of childhood. However, the overexpression of Wilms tumor 1 protein has been documented in many cancer tissues - both solid tumors and hematological malignancies. This article briefly reviews both the pathological and clinical characteristics of Wilms tumor along with relevant secondary infections.

Keywords: Bacteria; Cancer; Infectious complications; Wilms tumor; Wilms tumor 1 vaccine

Core Tip: This review describes different aspects of Wilms tumor, e.g., pathogenesis, epidemiology, immune responses, and complications, particularly secondary bacterial infections. The pertinent Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) gene and its protein play an important role in the embryogenesis of the kidney and the development of Wilms tumor. Interestingly, WT1 functions both as a tumor suppressor as well as an oncogenic factor, probably depending on the biological circumstances. Nevertheless, WT1 is overexpressed in several tumor tissues. For this reason, WT1-targeted strategies are potential areas in cancer therapy.