Gut Microbiota–Related Biomarkers in Immuno-Oncology
Carolina Alves Costa Silva, Marine Fidelle, Andrew A. Almonte, Lisa Derosa, Laurence Zitvogel
Abstract
Carcinogenesis is associated with the emergence of protracted intestinal dysbiosis and metabolic changes. Increasing evidence shows that gut microbiota-related biomarkers and microbiota-centered interventions are promising strategies to overcome resistance to immunotherapy. However, current standard methods for evaluating gut microbiota composition are cost- and time-consuming. The development of routine diagnostic tools for intestinal barrier alterations and dysbiosis constitutes a critical unmet medical need that can guide routine treatment and microbiota-centered intervention decisions in patients with cancer. In this review, we explore the influence of gut microbiota on cancer immunotherapy and highlight gut-associated biomarkers that have the potential to be transformed into simple diagnostic tools, thus guiding standard treatment decisions in the field of immuno-oncology. Mechanistic insights toward leveraging the complex relationship between cancer immunosurveillance, gut microbiota, and metabolism open exciting opportunities for developing novel biomarkers in immuno-oncology.