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Harnessing the microbiome: a new frontier in lung cancer immunotherapy

Kexin Feng1,2,3, Jun Wang1,2,3, Shuai Wang1,2,3

  • 1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China.

Cancer Biology & Medicine
|July 21, 2026
PubMed

Insights

The gut microbiome may predict lung cancer immunotherapy success. Understanding these microbial interactions can guide personalized treatments and improve patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Immunology
  • Microbiome Research

Background:

  • Lung cancer is a leading global malignancy with limited immunotherapy response rates (60-80%).
  • Identifying predictive biomarkers is crucial for personalized lung cancer treatment strategies.
  • The microbiome is emerging as a significant factor influencing immunotherapy efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review the microbiome's influence on lung cancer immunotherapy.
  • To explore microbiome profiles, their correlation with treatment effectiveness, and interaction mechanisms.
  • To discuss microbiome-targeted interventions and future research directions for personalized immunotherapy.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive literature review on microbiome and lung cancer immunotherapy.
  • Analysis of microbiome profiles and their association with treatment outcomes.
  • Investigation of microbiome-tumor microenvironment interactions and metabolite biomarkers.

Main Results:

  • Distinct microbiome profiles are associated with varying lung cancer immunotherapy responses.
  • Microbial metabolites show potential as predictive biomarkers for treatment effectiveness.
  • Interactions between the microbiome and tumor microenvironment impact immunotherapy outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • The microbiome is a promising predictor for lung cancer immunotherapy.
  • Targeted microbiome interventions and multi-site biomarker approaches can enhance personalized treatment.
  • Future research should focus on lung cancer-specific microbiome considerations for novel therapeutic strategies.
Keywords:
Lung cancerbiomarkersgut-lung axisimmunotherapymicrobial metabolitesmicrobiome

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