Microbiota and cancer: host-microbiota-tumor axis and therapeutic strategies
Narrative review maps mechanisms by which intratumoral and gut microbiota modulate the tumor microenvironment and therapeutic response.
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Context
High-throughput sequencing has detected low-biomass bacteria, fungi, and viruses across diverse malignancies. Evidence remains fragmented between descriptive associations, incomplete mechanisms, and early clinical interventions, limiting clinical translation.
What the study showed
The abstract describes signaling pathways — TLR-NF-κB, cGAS-STING, Wnt/β-catenin, JAK-STAT, PI3K-AKT — through which intratumoral microorganisms act on the TME. Microbial metabolites (SCFAs, secondary bile acids, tryptophan derivatives) are reported to reshape immune cell phenotypes and tumor cell metabolism. The review also catalogs microbiota associations with immune checkpoint blockade, chemotherapy resistance, radiotherapy toxicity, and diagnostic-prognostic biomarkers.
How it was done
Narrative review without formal meta-analysis; no original sample size; search period and inclusion criteria not specified in the abstract.
Risk of bias
Narrative reviews are inherently susceptible to literature selection bias; causality is not established by cited studies, as acknowledged by the authors themselves. Analysis based solely on the abstract — full methodology and quality of included studies cannot be verified.
What this study does NOT prove
This study does not demonstrate causal efficacy of any microbial intervention on human oncological outcomes.
In clinical practice
The document provides a conceptual framework, not clinical recommendations. FMT, engineered bacteria, and bacteriophages remain at investigational stages with unresolved safety and standardization barriers.
Limitations
Narrative reviews are inherently susceptible to literature selection bias; causality is not established by cited studies, as acknowledged by the authors themselves. Analysis based solely on the abstract — full methodology and quality of included studies cannot be verified.
Technical appendix
Version history
- 1.0 · 2026-09-21 — Auto-generated under Evidence Standard v1.0