Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39948579›Full record

ArticleJournal of ovarian research2025

Exploring the causal associations of the gut microbiota and plasma metabolites with ovarian cancer: an approach of mendelian randomization analysis combined with network pharmacology and molecular docking.

Junfeng Guo, Chen Wang, He Li, Chenhuan Ding

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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of ovarian research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Unveiling the Diagnostic Value and Potential Therapeutic Targets of Phenylalanine Metabolism in Pancreatic Cancer via Integrated Multi-Omics and Machine Learning.FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 2026
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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Junfeng Guo *Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China.
Chen Wang *Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China.
He LiDepartment of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China. lihe1972@hotmail.com.
Chenhuan DingDepartment of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China. dingchenhuan@sjtu.edu.cn.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 82174135Specialized Discipline of Chinese Medicine and Liver Disease in Summit Plateau, Pudong New Area YC-2023-0610
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWhile increasing evidence suggests that alterations in the gut microbiota and metabolites are associated with ovarian cancer (OC) risk, whether these associations imply causation remains to be identified.

methodsWe conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study utilizing a large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) to explore the causal effects of the gut microbiota of 196/220 individuals and 1,400 plasma metabolites on OC and epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) subtypes. Data on the gut microbiota were obtained from the MiBioGen consortium of 18,340 subjects and the Dutch Microbiome Project of 7,738 volunteers. Data on plasma metabolites were derived from a GWAS of plasma metabolites in 8,299 participants. Ovarian cancer (n = 25,509) and EOC subtypes were obtained from the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium (OCAC). Metabolites and associated targets were analyzed via network pharmacology and molecular docking.

resultsAt the genus and species levels, we identified seven risk factors for the gut microbiota: the genus Dialister (P = 0.024), genus Ruminiclostridium5 (P = 0.0004), genus Phascolarctobacterium (P = 0.0217), species Bacteroides massiliensis (P = 0.011), species Phascolarctobacterium succinatutens (P = 0.0212), species Paraprevotella clara (P = 0.0247) and species Bacteroides dorei (P = 0.0054). In addition, five gut microbes at the genus and species levels were found to be protective: genus Family XIII AD3011 group (P = 0.006), genus Butyrivibrio (P = 0.0095), genus Oscillibacter (P = 0.0206), species Roseburia hominis (P = 0.0241), and species Bifidobacterium bifidum (P = 0.0224). For plasma metabolites, we revealed five positive and four negative correlations with OC. Among these, caffeic acid and caffeine metabolites and sphingomyelin and ceramide metabolites were identified as risk factors, whereas phenylalanine metabolites, butyric acid metabolites, and some lipid metabolites were recognized as protective factors. A series of sensitivity analyses revealed no abnormalities, including pleiotropy and heterogeneity analyses.

conclusionOur MR analysis demonstrated that the gut microbiota and metabolites are causally associated with OC, which has significant potential for the early detection and diagnosis of OC and EOC subtypes, providing valuable insights into this area of research.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Ovarian EpithelialGastrointestinal MicrobiomeOvarian NeoplasmsFemaleGenome-Wide Association StudyHumansMendelian Randomization AnalysisMolecular Docking SimulationNetwork PharmacologyRisk FactorsGut microbiotaMendelian randomizationMetabolitesNetwork pharmacologyOvarian cancer

Identifiers

PMID39948579
PMCPMC11823090

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.