REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Microbial Immunology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1559480
This article is part of the Research TopicHost-Microbiota Immuno-Interactions for Personalized Microbial TherapeuticsView all 7 articles
Microbiota as diagnostic biomarkers: advancing early cancer detection and personalized therapeutic approaches through microbiome profiling
Provisionally accepted
Majid Eslami1
Ramtin Naderian2Aisa Bahar3
Ali Babaeizad4Solaleh Rezanavaz Gheshlagh4
Valentyn Oksenych5*
Hamed Tahmasebi6*- 1Cancer Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Semnan, Iran
- 2Clinical Research Development Unit, Kowsar Educational, Research and Therapeutic Hospital, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran., Semnan, Iran
- 3Department of Biochemistry, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran, Semnan, Iran
- 4Student Research Committee, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran, Semnan, Iran
- 5Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway, Bergen, Norway
- 6School of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
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The important function of microbiota as therapeutic modulators and diagnostic biomarkers in cancer has been shown by recent developments in microbiome research. The intricate interplay between the gut microbiota and the development of cancer, especially in colorectal and breast cancers, emphasizes how microbial profiling may be used for precision treatment and early diagnosis. Important microbial signatures, including Bacteroides fragilis and Fusobacterium nucleatum, have been linked to the development and progression of cancer, providing important information on the processes behind carcinogenesis. Additionally, the influence of microbiota on the effectiveness of treatments such as immunotherapy and chemotherapy highlights its dual function in improving treatment outcomes and reducing side effects. To optimize treatment results, strategies including dietary changes and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) are being investigated. Despite these developments, there are still issues, such as individual variations in microbial composition, a lack of standardized procedures, and the requirement for reliable biomarkers. Integrating microbiome-based diagnostics with conventional approaches, such as liquid biopsies and machine learning algorithms, could revolutionize cancer detection and management. This review provides an overview of the current understanding of the host–microbe immunological axis and discusses emerging therapeutic strategies centered on microbiota modulation to support human health. Further research is essential to overcome existing challenges and fully realize the promise of microbiota-driven innovations in oncology.
Keywords: biomarkers, Cancer, microbiota, Microbiome profiling, personalized medicine
Received: 12 Jan 2025; Accepted: 16 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Eslami, Naderian, Bahar, Babaeizad, Rezanavaz Gheshlagh, Oksenych and Tahmasebi. 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) or licensor 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.
* Correspondence:
Valentyn Oksenych, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway, Bergen, Norway
Hamed Tahmasebi, School of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, 3614773955, Iran
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.