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Exercise reshapes gut microbiota function to enhance cancer therapy.
Wen Fang1, Yang Wu1, Zhenyu Yang1
1School of Sports Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China.
Translational Oncology
|April 22, 2026
Summary
Exercise and gut microbiota modulation can improve cancer treatment efficacy. Physical activity reshapes the host environment, enhancing antitumor immunity and supporting better responses to various cancer therapies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Microbiome Research
Background:
- Cancer treatment outcomes vary significantly between individuals.
- Host immune and metabolic responses are critical determinants of therapeutic efficacy.
- The gut microbiota plays a key role in modulating host states and influencing treatment outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of exercise and gut microbiota interactions in cancer treatment response.
- To investigate exercise as a feasible endogenous stimulus to optimize host responsiveness.
- To provide a unified rationale for enhancing cancer therapy efficacy through host-centered approaches.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on exercise, gut microbiota, and cancer treatment.
- Analysis of the mechanisms by which physical activity influences the host environment and microbiota.
- Conceptual framework development for integrating exercise into cancer therapy.
Main Results:
- Exercise reshapes the host metabolic milieu, strengthens intestinal barrier, reduces inflammation, and promotes immune homeostasis.
- Physical activity promotes a gut microbiota composition that supports antitumor immunity.
- The exercise-microbiota axis offers a novel perspective on treatment response heterogeneity.
Conclusions:
- Integrating exercise into cancer therapy can enhance responsiveness to immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.
- Exercise-mediated microbiota modulation is a promising strategy to improve cancer treatment efficacy and patient outcomes.
- Further research and clinical implementation of exercise interventions are warranted.
Keywords:
Cancer therapyExercise interventionGut microbiotaHost immune metabolismIntegrated treatment strategyMore Related Videos
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