A microbiota-driven neuroepithelial feed-forward circuit drives gastroesophageal junction tumorigenesis

Zeng, Y.; Ye, Z.; Wu, F.; Zhang, P.; KOBAYASHI, H.; Arai, J.; Zhi, X.; Borgmann, M.; Qian, J.; Li, S.; Zheng, B.; Zheng, H.; Tu, R.; Lin, J.; Hata, M.; Ochiai, Y.; Waterbury, Q.; Harry, N.; Zamechek, L.; Vasilew, K.; Quante, M.; Abrams, J.; Fox, J. G.; WANG, T. C.

doi:10.64898/2026.10.13.759004

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bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.10.13.759004

A microbiota-driven neuroepithelial feed-forward circuit drives gastroesophageal junction tumorigenesis

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Abstract

The gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) is continuously exposed to refluxed bile acids and microbial perturbations, yet how these environmental cues are converted into persistent oncogenic signaling is unknown. Here we show that bile acid remodeling enriches the oral commensal Prevotella melaninogenica at the GEJ, where bacterial succinate activates both vagal sensory neurons and SUCNR1-expressing tuft cells. Activated tuft cells release 15-deoxy-12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15-d-PGJ2), which sensitizes sensory neurons and sustains nerve remodeling, while neuronal CGRP drives expansion and tuft-cell differentiation of neuro-responsive epithelial progenitors through RAMP1. This self-reinforcing microbiota-neuron-epithelium circuit promotes dysplastic progression, and its genetic or pharmacological disruption, including with the approved CGRP antagonist rimegepant, suppresses tumor development, revealing an interceptable mechanism linking environmental dysbiosis to cancer initiation through neural circuits.

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Zeng, Y., Ye, Z., Wu, F., Zhang, P., KOBAYASHI, H., Arai, J., Zhi, X., Borgmann, M., Qian, J., Li, S., Zheng, B., Zheng, H., Tu, R., Lin, J., Hata, M., Ochiai, Y., Waterbury, Q., Harry, N., Zamechek, L., Vasilew, K., Quante, M., Abrams, J., Fox, J. G., WANG, T. C.. 2026-10-15. A microbiota-driven neuroepithelial feed-forward circuit drives gastroesophageal junction tumorigenesis. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.10.13.759004

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