Li Tianhang, Wu Xiangyu, Li Xiangyang, Chen Ming
Department of Urology, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, China; Surgical Research Center, Institute of Urology, Southeast University Medical School, Nanjing, China.
Department of Urology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer. 2025 Apr;1880(2):189287. doi: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189287. Epub 2025 Feb 17.
The role of the human microbiome in cancer has been extensively studied, focusing mainly on bacteria-host interactions and their impact on tumor development and treatment response. However, fungi, an immune-active component of the human microbiome, have received less attention regarding their roles in cancer. Recent studies have identified the widespread and specific colonization and distribution of fungi in multiple sites in patients across various cancer types. Importantly, host-fungal immune interactions significantly influence immune regulation within the tumor microenvironment. The rapid advancement of immune-checkpoint blockade (ICB)-based cancer immunotherapy creates an urgent need for effective biomarkers and synergistic therapeutic targets. Cancer-associated fungi and their associated antifungal immunity demonstrate significant potential and efficacy in enhancing cancer immunotherapy. This review summarizes and discusses the growing evidence of the functions and mechanisms of commensal and pathogenic cancer-associated fungi in cancer immunotherapy. Additionally, we emphasize the potential of fungi as predictive biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cancer immunotherapy.
人类微生物群在癌症中的作用已得到广泛研究，主要聚焦于细菌与宿主的相互作用及其对肿瘤发展和治疗反应的影响。然而，真菌作为人类微生物群的一种免疫活性成分，其在癌症中的作用却较少受到关注。最近的研究已确定真菌在各类癌症患者的多个部位广泛且特异性地定植和分布。重要的是，宿主与真菌的免疫相互作用显著影响肿瘤微环境中的免疫调节。基于免疫检查点阻断（ICB）的癌症免疫疗法的迅速发展，迫切需要有效的生物标志物和协同治疗靶点。癌症相关真菌及其相关的抗真菌免疫在增强癌症免疫治疗方面显示出巨大潜力和疗效。本综述总结并讨论了共生和致病性癌症相关真菌在癌症免疫治疗中的功能和机制的越来越多的证据。此外，我们强调真菌作为癌症免疫治疗中预测生物标志物和治疗靶点的潜力。
