REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Microbial Immunology
This article is part of the Research TopicMicrobiota-Immune Interactions: A New Frontier in Cancer Treatment OptimizationView all 13 articles
Critical role of microbiota-reproductive tract axis and derived metabolites in inflammation, tumor immunity, and tumorigenesis of gynecological cancers: a narrative review
Provisionally accepted
- 1The second affiliated hospital of Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese medicine, Harbin, China
- 2Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
- 3First Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
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Gynecological malignancies, including ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers, present significant clinical challenges due to the epidemiological complexity and limitations in current therapeutic strategies. Emerging evidence highlights the critical role of the microbiome and its metabolites in modulating tumor initiation, progression, and treatment responses. This review explores the intricate mechanisms through which gut and reproductive tract microbiota influence gynecological cancers via immune regulation, metabolic reprogramming, and epigenetic modifications. Key microbial metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids, bile acids, and estrogen-metabolizing intermediates, serve as molecular bridges in host-microbe communication, impacting chemotherapy resistance and immunotherapy efficacy. Furthermore, we discuss the translational potential of microbiome-targeted interventions, including probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and precision microbial therapies, as innovative approaches for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Understanding the microbiota-reproductive axis offers novel insights into overcoming therapeutic resistance and improving patient outcomes in gynecologic oncology.
Keywords: chemotherapy resistance, gynecological cancers, Immunotherapy, Microbial Metabolites, microbiome
Received: 29 Oct 2025; Accepted: 11 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Chen, Lou, Meng, Zhang, Kuang and Yang. 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: Dongxia Yang
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