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Updated: Jun 27, 2025
Therapeutic Evaluation of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in an Interleukin 10-Deficient Mouse Model
Published on: April 6, 2022
Efficacy of intestinal microorganisms on immunotherapy of non-small cell lung cancer
Hua Xu1, Yongchun Deng2, Qing Zhu1
1Oncology Department of Chongqing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 400011, Chongqing, China.
Abstract:
While the 5-year survival rate of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has seen some improvement, the majority of NSCLC patients fail to respond to immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). It is critical to identify effective biomarkers that can enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy. The clinical data in the current study were collected from NSCLC patients treated with ICIs, and two groups were classified according to treatment effect: good group with consistent efficacy, poor group with only progressiveness. Differences in intestinal microbiota between the two groups were analyzed using 16s rRNA sequencing. Beta diversity analysis indicated differences between the two groups that were available for differentiation. Comparison of the number of common or unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs) among different groups suggested that there were 53 unique OTUs in the good group and 51 unique OTUs in the poor group. At the phylum level, there was a difference between the two groups for several bacterial groups with the highest abundance values, among which Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Fusobacteria were more abundant in the good group. Members of the genera Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus were abundant in the good group, while the abundance of Bacteroides was low. Biomarkers in the poor group included Bacteroides, Bacteroidetes, Bacteroidia, Bacteroidales, Bacteroidaceae and Veillonellaceae. The intestinal microbiota composition affected the immunotherapy process for NSCLC, which might offer more rational instructions for the clinical application of ICIs in NSCLC patients.
Insights
Gut bacteria composition impacts immunotherapy response in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Specific bacterial groups like Firmicutes and Bifidobacterium were linked to better outcomes with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Microbiome Research
- Immunotherapy
Background:
- Advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients often show limited response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).
- Identifying predictive biomarkers is crucial for enhancing immunotherapy efficacy in NSCLC.
- Intestinal microbiota composition is increasingly recognized for its role in modulating treatment responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the differences in intestinal microbiota between NSCLC patients who respond well versus poorly to immunotherapy.
- To identify potential microbial biomarkers associated with immunotherapy efficacy in NSCLC.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of clinical data from NSCLC patients treated with ICIs, categorized into good and poor response groups.
- 16S rRNA sequencing to profile the gut microbiome composition.
- Comparative analysis of microbial diversity (beta diversity) and specific operational taxonomic units (OTUs).
Main Results:
- Significant differences in gut microbiota composition and diversity were observed between good and poor responders.
- The good response group showed higher abundance of *Firmicutes*, *Actinobacteria*, *Fusobacteria*, *Bifidobacterium*, and *Lactobacillus*.
- The poor response group was characterized by a higher abundance of *Bacteroides* and related taxa, including *Bacteroidetes*, *Bacteroidia*, *Bacteroidales*, *Bacteroidaceae*, and *Veillonellaceae*.
Conclusions:
- Intestinal microbiota composition significantly influences the efficacy of immunotherapy in NSCLC patients.
- Specific bacterial genera and phyla may serve as predictive biomarkers for ICI treatment response.
- Findings suggest potential for microbiome-based strategies to optimize NSCLC immunotherapy.
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