Abbas Munawar, Tangney Mark
APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, T12 YT20, Ireland.
Cancer Research@UCC, University College Cork, Cork, T12 XF62, Ireland.
Microbiome Res Rep. 2025 Feb 27;4(1):16. doi: 10.20517/mrr.2024.89. eCollection 2025.
Microbial communities inhabiting various body sites play critical roles in the initiation, progression, and treatment of cancer. The gut microbiota, a highly diverse microbial ecosystem, interacts with immune cells to modulate inflammation and immune surveillance, influencing cancer risk and therapeutic outcomes. Local tissue microbiota may impact the transition from premalignant states to malignancy. Characterization of the intratumoral microbiota increasingly reveals distinct microbiomes that may influence tumor growth, immune responses, and treatment efficacy. Various bacteria species have been reported to modulate cancer therapies through mechanisms such as altering drug metabolism and shaping the tumor microenvironment (TME). For instance, gut or intratumoral bacterial enzymatic activity can convert prodrugs into active forms, enhancing therapeutic effects or, conversely, inactivating small-molecule chemotherapeutics. Specific bacterial species have also been linked to improved responses to immunotherapy, underscoring the microbiome's role in treatment outcomes. Furthermore, unique microbial signatures in cancer patients, compared with healthy individuals, demonstrate the diagnostic potential of microbiota. Beyond the gut, tumor-associated and local microbiomes also affect therapy by influencing inflammation, tumor progression, and drug resistance. This review explores the multifaceted relationships between microbiomes and cancer, focusing on their roles in modulating the TME, immune activation, and treatment efficacy. The diagnostic and therapeutic potential of bacterial members of microbiota represents a promising avenue for advancing precision oncology and improving patient outcomes. By leveraging microbial biomarkers and interventions, new strategies can be developed to optimize cancer diagnosis and treatment.
栖息于身体各个部位的微生物群落在癌症的发生、发展和治疗中发挥着关键作用。肠道微生物群是一个高度多样化的微生物生态系统，它与免疫细胞相互作用以调节炎症和免疫监视，影响癌症风险和治疗效果。局部组织微生物群可能会影响从癌前状态到恶性肿瘤的转变。肿瘤内微生物群的特征越来越多地揭示出可能影响肿瘤生长、免疫反应和治疗效果的独特微生物群落。据报道，各种细菌物种可通过改变药物代谢和塑造肿瘤微环境（TME）等机制来调节癌症治疗。例如，肠道或肿瘤内的细菌酶活性可将前体药物转化为活性形式，增强治疗效果，或者相反，使小分子化疗药物失活。特定细菌物种也与免疫治疗反应的改善有关，这突出了微生物群在治疗结果中的作用。此外，与健康个体相比，癌症患者独特的微生物特征显示了微生物群的诊断潜力。除了肠道，肿瘤相关微生物群和局部微生物群也通过影响炎症、肿瘤进展和耐药性来影响治疗。本综述探讨了微生物群与癌症之间的多方面关系，重点关注它们在调节肿瘤微环境、免疫激活和治疗效果方面的作用。微生物群中细菌成员的诊断和治疗潜力为推进精准肿瘤学和改善患者预后提供了一条有前景的途径。通过利用微生物生物标志物和干预措施，可以开发新的策略来优化癌症诊断和治疗。
