Staphylococcus kloosii accelerates the progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by promoting SCD/HMGCS1-mediated lipid metabolism

In this study, we detected S.kloosii in nasal lavage samples from NPC patients, confirming its potential association with NPC tumorigenesis. Using both in vitro and in vivo models, we demonstrated that S.kloosii markedly promotes the proliferation of NPC C666-1 cells. Notably, S.kloosii-treated C666-1 cells exhibited accelerated tumor formation and faster growth in nude mice, accompanied by increased histopathological malignancy. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that S.kloosii activates lipid metabolic pathways in NPC cells, leading to significant upregulation of SCD and HMGCS1 at both gene and protein levels. This drives enhanced synthesis of cholesterol, glycerophospholipids, and sphingolipids, resulting in dysregulated lipid composition. Importantly, overexpression of SCD or HMGCS1 recapitulated the tumor-promoting effects of S.kloosii, including enhanced cell proliferation and lipid biosynthesis. These findings identify novel potential therapeutic targets for precision diagnosis and treatment of NPC, and provide a theoretical basis for developing microbiota-targeted metabolic therapies.