Role of Fusobacterium nucleatum and KRAS Genotype in Colorectal Cancer Development
Ahmed Dewan
College of Life Sciences, Anhui Agriculture University, Hefei 230036, China.
Ivan Tattoli
Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Maria Teresa Mascellino *
Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) and activating mutations in the Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) are increasingly recognised as synergistic drivers of colorectal cancer (CRC). Fn promotes tumorigenesis through several mechanisms, such as virulence factors including FadA and Fap2. KRAS mutations amplify proliferative and inflammatory signalling. This chapter explores how Fn enhances KRAS-driven oncogenic cascades and how KRAS-mutant epithelium fosters bacterial colonisation. We also examine KRAS as a prognostic biomarker and highlight emerging microbiome-targeted strategies. Understanding this microbial–genetic crosstalk provides a foundation for precision prevention and combined therapeutic approaches in CRC.
Keywords: Fusobacterium nucleatum, KRAS mutations, colorectal cancer, microbiome genotype interplay, FadA, Fap2