Gut Microbiome Emerges as Key Player in Cancer Therapy Revolution

The gut microbiome is increasingly recognized as a key driver of cancer development, progression, and treatment response, according to recent research published in a special issue of Cancer Biology & Medicine. Guest-edited by Professor Jun Yu from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the collection includes seven review articles covering hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The articles explore how microbial dysbiosis—loss of beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus and Akkermansia and overgrowth of pathogens such as Klebsiella pneumoniae—fuels hepatocarcinogenesis through chronic inflammation. A multi-omics framework for colorectal cancer integrates metagenomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics to identify actionable targets. Probiotics are highlighted as promising adjuncts to conventional therapy, restoring gut barrier function and modulating immune responses. Tumor-resident bacteria emerge as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, influencing therapeutic outcomes. Additional reviews cover animal models for gastric cancer, the microbiome's role in pancreatic cancer, and how microbial metabolites modulate immunogenic cell death, potentially converting "cold" tumors into "hot" ones responsive to checkpoint inhibitors.

The authors emphasize that the next phase of cancer research requires integrating genetics, immunology, and microbiology, treating the microbiome as an integral component of the tumor ecosystem. Interventions such as fecal microbiota transplantation, engineered bacteria, or metabolite-based drugs must be designed with this holistic view. Microbiome-derived biomarkers could enable early detection of gastrointestinal cancers through non-invasive stool tests. Probiotic formulations tailored to individual gut profiles might boost immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy while reducing adverse events. For bacteria-infected tumors, targeted antimicrobial or nanodrug strategies could simultaneously combat infection and malignancy. As these approaches mature, the line between diagnosis, treatment, and prevention blurs, moving cancer care toward precision medicine where the microbiome becomes an indispensable guide.

For more details, access the full special issue at https://www.cancerbiomed.org/content/23/5. The journal Cancer Biology & Medicine is a peer-reviewed open-access journal sponsored by China Anti-cancer Association and Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, indexed in SCOPUS, MEDLINE, and SCI (IF 12.4).