An Insight into the Clinical Application of Gut Microbiota during Anticancer Therapy

Abstract

The gut microbiota, regarded as “the second genome” of human, is responsible for a considerable number of key physiological responses in the host, including the regulation of host immunity, the prevention of pathogen infection, the synthesis and metabolism of critical molecules, and others. More importantly, recent research highlighted that it could also play an indispensable role during anticancer therapy. By interacting with the host immunity or producing direct modifications on the drugs, the gut microbiota can ultimately contribute to the effectiveness of anticancer treatments and also overcome the therapy-induced adverse effects. In this review, we discuss the potential mechanisms of gut microbiota in facilitating anticancer therapy and illustrate the applications of different commensal bacterial species in preclinical and clinical trials, which may provide insights into how the gut microbiota could be used as a promising adjuvant therapy option for the future treatment.