Onkológia 3/2022

The impact of the gut microbiome on the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy

Despite considerable progress in anti-cancer treatment, high toxicity, acquired resistance, or a poor response to therapy represent a major challenge for cancer research. Mounting evidence supports the key role of the gut microbiome in cancer patients. According to the findings from preclinical and clinical studies, favorable microbiota composition may improve the response to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Some bacterial taxa are associated with prolonged progression-free survival and overall survival after treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors, including PD-1 / PD-L1 or CTLA-4 blockade. Changes in microbial diversity and antibiotic-induced dysbiosis have been reported to significantly reduce the efficacy of cancer treatment. However, impaired intestinal homeostasis can be restored by gut microbiota modifications. Importantly, modulation by probiotics or fecal microbial transplantation represents a potential therapeutic strategy not only to reduce toxicity but also to increase the efficacy of anti-cancer treatment, improving outcomes for cancer patients.

Keywords: microbiome, immunotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors, probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation