Pharmacomicrobiomics: exploiting the drug-microbiota interactions in anticancer therapies
Top Cited Papers
Open Access
- 22 May 2018
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Microbiome
- Vol. 6 (1), 1-13
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-018-0483-7
Abstract
Cancer is a major health burden worldwide, and despite continuous advances in medical therapies, resistance to standard drugs and adverse effects still represent an important cause of therapeutic failure. There is a growing evidence that gut bacteria can affect the response to chemo- and immunotherapeutic drugs by modulating either efficacy or toxicity. Moreover, intratumor bacteria have been shown to modulate chemotherapy response. At the same time, anticancer treatments themselves significantly affect the microbiota composition, thus disrupting homeostasis and exacerbating discomfort to the patient. Here, we review the existing knowledge concerning the role of the microbiota in mediating chemo- and immunotherapy efficacy and toxicity and the ability of these therapeutic options to trigger dysbiotic condition contributing to the severity of side effects. In addition, we discuss the use of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics, and antibiotics as emerging strategies for manipulating the microbiota in order to improve therapeutic outcome or at least ensure patients a better quality of life all along of anticancer treatments.Keywords
Funding Information
- Ministero della Salute (RC1703GA31, RC1503GA40)
This publication has 95 references indexed in Scilit:
- Gastrointestinal cancers: Influence of gut microbiota, probiotics and prebioticsCancer Letters, 2014
- Irinotecan (CPT-11) Chemotherapy Alters Intestinal Microbiota in Tumour Bearing RatsPLOS ONE, 2012
- Alleviating Cancer Drug Toxicity by Inhibiting a Bacterial EnzymeScience, 2010
- The Role of Intestinal Microbiota in the Development and Severity of Chemotherapy-Induced MucositisPLoS Pathogens, 2010
- Safety assessment of probiotics for human useGut Microbes, 2010
- Effects of the enteral administration of Bifidobacterium breve on patients undergoing chemotherapy for pediatric malignanciesSupportive Care in Cancer, 2009
- The Safety of ProbioticsClinical Infectious Diseases, 2008
- Lactobacillus supplementation for diarrhoea related to chemotherapy of colorectal cancer: a randomised studyBritish Journal of Cancer, 2007
- Probiotic Effects on 5-Fluorouracil-Induced Mucositis Assessed by the Sucrose Breath Test in RatsDigestive Diseases and Sciences, 2007
- Prevention of febrile neutropenia in cancer patients by probiotic strain Enterococcus faecium M-74. Phase II studySupportive Care in Cancer, 2005