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Review
. 2023 Sep 28;12(1):84.
doi: 10.1186/s40164-023-00442-x.

Role of gut microbiome in cancer immunotherapy: from predictive biomarker to therapeutic target

Mengwei Zhang  1   2   3 , Jinkai Liu  4   5   6 , Qiang Xia  7   8   9
Affiliations
Review

Role of gut microbiome in cancer immunotherapy: from predictive biomarker to therapeutic target

Mengwei Zhang et al. Exp Hematol Oncol. .

Abstract

Immunotherapy has emerged as an effective treatment for various types of cancers. Recent studies have highlighted a significant correlation between the gut microbiome and patients' response to immunotherapy. Several characteristics of the gut microbiome, such as community structures, taxonomic compositions, and molecular functions, have been identified as crucial biomarkers for predicting immunotherapy response and immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Unlike other -omics, the gut microbiome can serve as not only biomarkers but also potential targets for enhancing the efficacy of immunotherapy. Approaches for modulating the gut microbiome include probiotics/prebiotics supplementation, dietary interventions, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), and antibiotic administration. This review primarily focuses on elucidating the potential role of the gut microbiome in predicting the response to cancer immunotherapy and improving its efficacy. Notably, we explore reasons behind inconsistent findings observed in different studies, and highlight the underlying benefits of antibiotics in liver cancer immunotherapy.

Keywords: Antibiotics; Cancer immunotherapy; Fecal microbiota transplantation; Gut microbiome; Immune checkpoint inhibitor; Immunotherapy biomarkers.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest. This manuscript has been read and approved by all the authors and has not been submitted to or is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The mechanisms underlying the impact of gut microbiota and their metabolites on immunotherapy. NK natural killer, DC dendritic cell, CTL cytotoxic T lymphocyte, APC antigen-presenting cell, Treg regulatory T cell (created with BioRender.com)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The role of gut microbiome in immunotherapy. A Gut microbiome biomarkers for immunotherapy. B Manipulation of the gut microbiome to enhance the efficiency of immunotherapy (created with BioRender.com)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Causes of inconsistent results among different studies (created with BioRender.com)
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Improved prediction and enhancement process of immunotherapy. To enhance the accuracy of immunotherapy prediction, a combination of various markers, including the gut microbiome, is recommended. Firstly, patients who are most likely to benefit from immunotherapy should be identified while those with specific mutations that hinder its efficacy should be excluded. Secondly, a multiparameter model can be utilized to predict response rates in remaining patients. Manipulation of gut microbiota may serve as a potential intervention to rescue or further enhance treatment outcomes for both non-responders and responders, respectively
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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