Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

Tractable In Vivo Reprogramming of Tumor Cells to Type 1 Conventional Dendritic Cell-like Cells
10:04

Tractable In Vivo Reprogramming of Tumor Cells to Type 1 Conventional Dendritic Cell-like Cells

Published on: August 1, 2025

Microbial reprogramming of immunogenic cell death: a new paradigm in tumor immunotherapy

Yilin Li1,2, Huiyue Zhang1,2, Yun Feng1,2

  • 1Department of Breast Medicine 1, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang 110042, China.

Cancer Biology & Medicine
|May 21, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Microbiota and microbial metabolites can induce immunogenic cell death (ICD), converting "cold" tumors into "hot" tumors. This review explores microbiota-mediated ICD modulation for novel cancer therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Immunology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Immunogenic cell death (ICD) converts "cold" tumors to "hot" tumors by promoting antigenicity, adjuvanticity, and a favorable tumor microenvironment (TME).
  • Traditional ICD inducers like chemotherapy and radiotherapy face limitations due to drug resistance and adverse effects.
  • Microbiota and microbial metabolites present a novel avenue for triggering ICD, releasing damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), and modulating immune responses within the TME.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To comprehensively review the mechanisms by which microbiota and microbial metabolites regulate ICD.
  • To examine emerging strategies for harnessing microbiota-mediated ICD in cancer therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies investigating the interplay between microbiota, microbial metabolites, and ICD.
  • Analysis of emerging therapeutic strategies involving engineered microbiota, microbial-based combination therapies, and dietary interventions.

Main Results:

  • Microbiota can induce ICD, leading to DAMP release, immune cell activation, and TME remodeling.
  • Engineered microbiota, combination therapies (e.g., with immune checkpoint inhibitors), and dietary interventions show promise for modulating ICD.
  • Individual microbiota variability and mechanistic complexity present challenges.

Conclusions:

  • Microbiota-mediated ICD modulation offers a novel paradigm for personalized cancer therapy.
  • Further research is needed to overcome challenges and optimize microbiota-based strategies for cancer treatment.
Keywords:
Immunogenic cell deathantitumor immune responsesdamage-associated molecular patternsmicrobiota and microbial metabolitestumor microenvironment

More Related Videos

Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Human Melanoma Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocytes10:03

Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Human Melanoma Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocytes

Published on: November 11, 2016

Experimental Melanoma Immunotherapy Model Using Tumor Vaccination with a Hematopoietic Cytokine09:15

Experimental Melanoma Immunotherapy Model Using Tumor Vaccination with a Hematopoietic Cytokine

Published on: February 24, 2023

Related Concept Videos

Tumor Immunotherapy01:27

Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
Cells of the Innate Immune Response01:28

Cells of the Innate Immune Response

The innate immune response is an immediate and non-specific response against pathogens, acting swiftly to prevent the spread of infections. The primary cells involved in this response are phagocytes and natural killer (NK) cells.
Phagocytes
Phagocytes police the peripheral tissues by removing cellular debris and responding to the invasion of foreign substances or pathogens. Many phagocytes attack and remove microorganisms even before lymphocytes detect them. The human body has two general...
The Tumor Microenvironment02:17

The Tumor Microenvironment

Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...