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Comment
. 2014 Feb;20(2):126-7.
doi: 10.1038/nm.3473.

Chemotherapy, immunity and microbiota--a new triumvirate?

Michael Karin, Christian Jobin, Frances Balkwill
Comment

Chemotherapy, immunity and microbiota--a new triumvirate?

Michael Karin et al. Nat Med. 2014 Feb.

Abstract

The growing relevance of the gut microbiota to various human diseases may also directly impinge on the efficacy of chemotherapeutics. A recent study shows that subcutaneous tumors fail to respond to immunotherapy and platinum chemotherapy after antibiotic treatment, whereas another study reports that the effect of cyclophosphamide on the antitumor immune response relies on the presence of a ‘healthy’ gut microbiota. The mechanisms mediating the role of the microbiota in the immune system during chemotherapy seem to involve the innate and adaptive immune arms. The unexpected influence of commensal intestinal bacteria in the outcome of cancer treatment and the function of anticancer immunity poses new questions from a preclinical and clinical standpoint in the cancer field.

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Comment on

  • Commensal bacteria control cancer response to therapy by modulating the tumor microenvironment.
    Iida N, Dzutsev A, Stewart CA, Smith L, Bouladoux N, Weingarten RA, Molina DA, Salcedo R, Back T, Cramer S, Dai RM, Kiu H, Cardone M, Naik S, Patri AK, Wang E, Marincola FM, Frank KM, Belkaid Y, Trinchieri G, Goldszmid RS. Iida N, et al. Science. 2013 Nov 22;342(6161):967-70. doi: 10.1126/science.1240527. Science. 2013. PMID: 24264989 Free PMC article.
  • The intestinal microbiota modulates the anticancer immune effects of cyclophosphamide.
    Viaud S, Saccheri F, Mignot G, Yamazaki T, Daillère R, Hannani D, Enot DP, Pfirschke C, Engblom C, Pittet MJ, Schlitzer A, Ginhoux F, Apetoh L, Chachaty E, Woerther PL, Eberl G, Bérard M, Ecobichon C, Clermont D, Bizet C, Gaboriau-Routhiau V, Cerf-Bensussan N, Opolon P, Yessaad N, Vivier E, Ryffel B, Elson CO, Doré J, Kroemer G, Lepage P, Boneca IG, Ghiringhelli F, Zitvogel L. Viaud S, et al. Science. 2013 Nov 22;342(6161):971-6. doi: 10.1126/science.1240537. Science. 2013. PMID: 24264990 Free PMC article.

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