P13 Ecker, Janssen

Impact of gut microbiota on colorectal cancer lipid metabolism

Principal Investigators:
Ecker, Josef, UKR
Janssen, Klaus-Peter, TUM

Cancer cells feature a high demand for lipids as fuel for energy metabolism or membrane synthesis during cell proliferation. We could show that an altered lipid metabolism in colorectal cancer has clinical significance and is essentially recapitulated in genetic mouse models. Moreover, gut microbiota interferes decisively with the lipid metabolism of the host. The tandem project focuses on the interactions between gut microbiota, lipid metabolism and cancer formation, also with regards to their putative therapeutical relevance. Stable isotope labelled precursors and quantitative lipidomic analysis will be used on patient-derived organoids and genetic cancer mouse models to define the role of dietary versus de novo synthesized lipids in tumorigenesis. The functional contribution of gut microbiota for intestinal lipid uptake, lipid synthesis and desaturation in the context of colorectal cancer will be dissected with germfree and gnotobiotic mouse models.