Advancing prostate cancer treatment: the role of fecal microbiota transplantation as an adjuvant therapy

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. While current treatments such as surveillance, surgery, and radiation are effective, they have their limitations. These can include patient incompliance due to side effects or resistance to hormonal changes, highlighting the need for alternative approaches. Human microbiota, a complex and dynamic host, plays a significant role in the homeostasis and is associated with several diseases or cancers in cases of dysregulation and dysbiosis. Research on fecal microbiota profiling and its association with certain cancers has opened new possibilities for preventing and managing tumor progression. One such possibility is fecal microbial transplantation (FMT). Studies show that different composition of urinary microbiota is found in various urinary tract diseases. Gut microbiota can regulate immune response against tumors; therefore, FMT may help modulate gut microbiota in a way that potentially enhances responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors, as suggested by emerging evidence in other cancers, though this needs further validation in PCa. Nevertheless, long-term complications and the safety of FMT are still questioned. We reviewed the roles of gut microbiota in PCa and suggested FMT as a potential tool in the treatment of PCa, which needs further investigations.

Keywords: Dysbiosis; Fecal microbiota transplantation; Gastrointestinal microbiome; Microbiota; Prostatic neoplasms.

Graphical abstract