The Microbial Conductor: Orchestrating Cancer Hallmarks through the Intratumoral Microbiome
Microbiome and cancer hallmarks
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29409/s5c44z69Keywords:
Cancer hallmarks , Intratumoral microbiome , Immune modulation , Microbiota–cancer interaction , Tumor microenvironmentAbstract
The intratumoral microbiota, which consists of a variety of bacteria, fungi, and viruses living inside the tumor, is gaining recognition as a multifunctional factor that influences cancer development in multiple ways, similar to a “microbiological conductor.” The structure of the intratumoral microbiota is highly heterogeneous among different individuals and correlates closely with the immune response of the host, the tumor microenvironment (TME), and therapy effectiveness. Certain types of microbes can act as a conductor for tumor growth and progression through carcinogen production, inflammation disruption, or immune escape.
In addition, the intratumor microbiome may affect the response to therapy by affecting the metabolism of drugs used during chemotherapy, as well as the effectivity of immuno-oncology drugs. The study of the intratumoral microbiome and its interaction with tumors thus has huge possibilities that may help us understand the basic mechanisms responsible for tumor formation and growth and at the same time provide new opportunities for personalized therapies in oncology. This review discusses the biological functions of the microbial community in regulating hallmarks of cancer, the current state of knowledge about its multidimensional interactions that lead to tumor growth, and the potential of microbiome-based approaches, considering recent developments. Further scientific efforts will be required to overcome methodological challenges, which include multi-omics studies combined with functional validation.
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Data Availability Statement
No new datasets were generated or analyzed during this study. All information discussed in this review was obtained from previously published articles cited in the reference list.
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