Protective Role of Spermidine in Colitis and Colon Carcinogenesis

Spermidine has been shown to regulate colitis. In a paper published in Gastroenterology (2022), Gobert et al sought to determine if spermidine treatment reduces colitis and carcinogenesis. Mice whose ability to generate spermidine naturally (SMOX knockdown) had exacerbated colitis and colitis-associated carcinoma, increased α-defensin expression, and dysbiosis of the microbiome. Spermidine supplementation reverses these phenotypes, indicating that it has potential as an adjunctive treatment for colitis and chemopreventive for colon carcinogenesis.