Onkológia 6/2020

Role of the gut microbiome in hematologic cancer patients receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Preclinical and clinical studies highlighted the considerable impact of the gut microbiome on cancer development and progression, and also on the response of patients to anticancer therapy. Chemotherapeutic and radiotherapeutic treatment heavily destroy intestinal biodiversity, and mucosal barrier disruption leads to bacterial translocation followed by the development of severe bacteremia. Both treatments form a part of the conditioning regimen in hematologic cancer patients receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), suggesting a role of the gut microbiome in the clinical outcome of patients. According to the findings, the development of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and higher mortality are associated with treatment-associated shifts in microbiota composition. Several clinical trials regarding the therapeutic potential of gut microbiota modulation in HSCT patients are currently ongoing.

Keywords: microbiome, dysbiosis, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, graft versus host disease, gut microbiota modulation