Bifidobacterium bifidum Association with Changes in miR-196a/b-5p and Its Target Genes in HT-29 Colorectal Cancer Cells

Sabzevari, Arghavan; Farahmand, Somayeh; Niknezhad, Mohammad Amin

year 20, Issue 1 (January - February 2026) Iran J Med Microbiol 2026, 20(1): 1-11 | Back to browse issues page

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Sabzevari A, Farahmand S, Niknezhad M A. Bifidobacterium bifidum Association with Changes in miR-196a/b-5p and Its Target Genes in HT-29 Colorectal Cancer Cells. Iran J Med Microbiol 2026; 20 (1) :1-11
URL: http://ijmm.ir/article-1-2870-en.html

Bifidobacterium bifidum Association with Changes in miR-196a/b-5p and Its Target Genes in HT-29 Colorectal Cancer Cells

Arghavan Sabzevari¹

, Somayeh Farahmand²

, Mohammad Amin Niknezhad³

1- Department of Biology, Payame Noor University (PNU), Tehran, Iran
2- Department of Biology, Payame Noor University (PNU), Tehran, Iran , s.farahmand@pnu.ac.ir
3- Department of Microbiology, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord Branch, Shahrekord, Iran

Abstract: (320 Views)

Background and Aim: Probiotics, particularly species of Bifidobacterium, have shown potential anticancer properties through mechanisms involving immune modulation, regulation of apoptosis, and production of bioactive metabolites. This study aimed to examine the cytotoxic effects of post-fermentation medium (PFM) and cell extract (CE) derived from Bifidobacterium (B.) bifidum on colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and to evaluate their impact on the expression of cancer-related microRNAs (miRNAs) and target genes.
Materials and Methods: HT-29 colorectal cancer cells were exposed to different concentrations (0–50% v/v) of PFM and CE. Cytotoxicity was assessed using the MTT assay. The expression levels of miR-196a-5p and miR-196b-5p and their target genes (HOXB8, IGF2BP3, and E2F7) were quantified using RT-qPCR.
Results: PFM induced a dose-dependent reduction in HT-29 cell viability, with an IC₅₀ of approximately 35%, while CE displayed minimal cytotoxicity. PFM also upregulated miR-196a-5p and miR-196b-5p, particularly at 35% and 50%, whereas CE had no significant effect. Correspondingly, PFM was associated with significant downregulation expression of HOXB8 and IGF2BP3. No meaningful changes were observed in E2F7 expression or in CE-treated cells.
Conclusion: Bifidobacterium bifidum-derived PFM demonstrated anticancer activity by reducing cancer cell viability and showing an association with changes in miRNA and target gene expression. However, these findings are correlative and do not establish a causal, miRNA-mediated mechanism. Further functional studies (e.g., using miRNA mimics/inhibitors or gene knockdown) are required to determine whether the observed gene expression changes are directly mediated by miRNA modulation, and in vivo validation is also warranted.

Keywords: Bifidobacterium bifidum, Colorectal Neoplasms, Fermentation Products, Gene Expression Regulation, MicroRNAs

Full-Text [PDF 577 kb] (21 Downloads)

Type of Study: Original Research Article | Subject: Molecular Microbiology
Received: 2025/10/13 | Accepted: 2026/01/17 | ePublished: 2026/02/28

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