Integrating Mendelian randomization with single-cell and spatial transcriptomics to investigate gut microbiota-associated genetic signals and molecular characteristics in prostate cancer

Background

Prostate cancer (PRAD) represents one of the most prevalent malignancies among men globally. Accumulating evidence implicates gut microbiota dysbiosis in the initiation and progression of prostate cancer; however, the causal relationship and underlying molecular mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. This study integrated Mendelian randomization (MR), bioinformatics, single-cell RNA sequencing, and spatial transcriptomics to systematically investigate the genetic associations between gut microbiota and prostate cancer risk and characterize the expression patterns of microbiota-associated candidate genes within the tumor microenvironment.

Methods