REVIEW article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Pharmacology
Nanomaterial-Mediated Modulation of Gut Microbiota for Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Colorectal Cancer: A Comprehensive Review
Provisionally accepted
- Jilin Normal University, Siping, China
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The critical role of gut microbiota in the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) has garnered widespread recognition. Leveraging their precise targeting capabilities and programmable properties, nanomaterials are emerging as novel strategy for modulating the interplay between microbiota and tumors. This comprehensive review examines functional nanomaterials—including nanoparticles, nanocapsules, and nanoreactors—and elucidates their mechanisms of action in remodeling the CRC immune microenvironment and potentiating responses to chemoradiotherapy and immunotherapy through microbiota modulation. We further highlight the synergistic value of nanomaterials in multimodal CRC theranostics: (i) serving as microbiota modulation carriers for integrated diagnosis and therapy; (ii) activating systemic anti-tumor immunity via the gut-microbiota-immune axis; and (iii) targeting CRC drug resistance and metastasis. Finally, we discuss challenges associated with clinical translation, including assessment of long-term nanomaterial biosafety and optimization of personalized microbiota intervention protocols. This review provides theoretical foundations and technical insights for developing precision diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for CRC based on nano-microbiota interactions.
Keywords: colorectal cancer, Diagnosis and therapy, Drug Resistance, Gut Microbiota, nanomaterials
Received: 02 Dec 2025; Accepted: 05 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Yang, Feng, Cheng and Zhang. 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: Min Zhang
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.