The role of the Alistipes genus in intestinal inflammation, cancer, and aging: a narrative review

Alistipes, a bacterial genus under phylum Bacteroidetes, widely colonizes the gut. Since the first report of Alistipes in 2003, 13 species and 3 subspecies have been successfully isolated and identified from human feces, urine, appendiceal lesions, and rectal abscesses. Alistipes was reported to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapies in cancer treatment, while the detailed descriptions of other biological functions of this bacterium are lacking. This review summarizes the roles and potential mechanisms of Alistipes and its metabolites in inflammatory bowel diseases, digestive cancer, lung cancer, prostate and bladder cancer, and aging. Based on existing research, this narrative review provides a conceptual framework and emphasizes prospects for potential clinical value in diagnostics and therapeutics.