Challenges and future directions in head and neck microbiome research

The microbial imbalance in head and neck cancer (HNC) is a promising area of research for developing targeted therapies. Maintenance of microbial diversity and balance through prebiotics, probiotics and faecal microbial transplantation (FMT) holds a potential approach in reestablishing the gut health. Preclinical studies and early clinical trials have shown positive results in restoring the favourable microbial environment, thereby minimizing the inflammation and maximizing the positive immune response. However, the link between microbial flora associated with oral dysbiosis, the associated biomarkers and HNC tumorigenesis needs to be further explored. Future research focusses on developing standardised strategies for maintaining the microbial environment, to serve as an adjunct to the standard treatment protocols for HNC. Biomarkers predicting immune response, synthetic genetically engineered beneficial bacteria, integration of metagenomics, metabolomics and meta transcriptomics for intra-tumoral microbial evaluation are the focus areas of emerging research.