Microbiome and cancer: from mechanistic implications in disease progression and treatment to development of novel antitumoral strategies

Sep 21, 2026

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Cancer is a highly aggressive disease shaped by multifactorial etiology, including genetic and external exposures, immune dysfunction, dysbiosis, and lifestyle-related factors. Patients often develop immunosuppression from chemotherapy and radiotherapy, increasing infection risk and supporting tumor-cell proliferation. This review summarizes updated evidence on how microbiota and microbiome influence cancer development, disease progression, therapy response, treatment interference, and toxicity, including effects on chemotherapeutic and immunotherapeutic efficacy.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Microbiome contributions to cancer etiology and progression

Microbiota-mediated mechanisms affecting treatment efficacy and toxicity

TYPE Review PUBLISHED 23 April 2024 DOI 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1373504 OPEN ACCESS EDITED BY Bangzhou Zhang, Xiamen University, China REVIEWED BY Shaoyi Zhang, University of California, San Francisco, United States Xiaoying Zhou, Nanjing Medical University, China *CORRESPONDENCE Mariana Carmen Chiﬁriuc carmen. chiﬁ[riuc@gmail.com](riuc@gmail.com) RECEIVED 19 January 2024 ACCEPTED 08 April 2024 PUBLISHED 23 April 2024 CITATION Constantin M, Chiﬁriuc MC, Mihaescu G, Corcionivoschi N, Burlibasa L, Bleotu C, Tudorache S, Mitache MM, Filip R, Munteanu S-G and Gradisteanu Pircalabioru G (2024) Microbiome and cancer: from mechanistic implications in disease progression and treatment to development of novel antitumoral strategies. Front. Immunol. 15:1373504 . doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1373504 COPYRIGHT © 2024 Constantin, Chiﬁriuc, Mihaescu, Corcionivoschi, Burlibasa, Bleotu, Tudorache, Mitache, Filip, Munteanu and Gradisteanu Pircalabioru. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Microbiome and cancer: from mechanistic implications in disease progression and treatment to development of novel antitumoral strategies Marian Constantin 1,2, Mariana Carmen Chiﬁriuc2,3*, Grigore Mihaescu 3, Nicolae Corcionivoschi 4,5,6, Liliana Burlibasa 3, Coralia Bleotu 2,7, Sorin Tudorache 8, Magda Mihaela Mitache 8, Roxana Filip 9,10, Simona-Gloria Munteanu 11 and Gratiela Gradisteanu Pircalabioru 2,3,6,12 1 Institute of Biology, Bucharest of Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania, 2 Life, Environmental and Earth Sciences Division, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania, 3 Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania, 4 Bacteriology Branch, Veterinary Sciences Division, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Belfast, United Kingdom, 5 Faculty of Bioengineering of Animal Resources, Banat University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine-King Michael I of Romania, Timisoara, Romania, 6 Romanian Academy of Scientists, Bucharest, Romania, 7Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania, 8 Faculty of Medicine, Titu Maiorescu University, Bucharest, Romania, 9 Faculty of Medicine and Biological Sciences, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Suceava, Romania, 10Suceava Emergency County Hospital, Suceava, Romania, 11Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania, 12eBio-Hub Research Centre, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania Cancer is a very aggressive disease and one of mankind’s most important health problems, causing numerous deaths each year. Its etiology is complex, including genetic, gender-related, infectious diseases, dysbiosis, immunological imbalances, lifestyle, including dietary factors, pollution etc. Cancer patients also become immunosuppressed, frequently as side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and prone to infections, which further promote the proliferation of tumor cells. In recent decades, the role and importance of the microbiota in cancer has become a hot spot in human biology research, bringing together oncology and human microbiology. In addition to their roles in the etiology of different cancers, microorganisms interact with tumor cells and may be involved in modulating their response to treatment and in the toxicity of anti-tumor therapies. In this review, we present an update on the roles of microbiota in cancer with a focus on interference with anticancer treatments and anticancer potential. KEYWORDS cancer, microbiota, microbiome,

FAQs

How do microbiota and microbiome contribute to cancer development and progression?

Microbiota can drive or advance neoplastic processes through genotoxic compound production, local inflammatory changes, direct effects on genes, and impaired immune function leading to immunosuppression.

What role does the microbiome play in modulating anticancer treatment outcomes?

The microbiome composition and functions can influence both efficacy and toxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs and immunotherapeutic agents, including checkpoint-based therapies.

Why are cancer patients more vulnerable to infections during treatment?

Cancer can involve immune imbalance, and chemotherapy and radiotherapy frequently induce immunosuppression, which increases susceptibility to infections and can further support tumor-cell proliferation.

Sep 21, 2026

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