Intratumoral microbiota: bidirectional modulation of tumor radiosensitivity
- 1Clinical Oncology College, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences , , ,
- 2Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences , , ,
- 3Department of Oncology, Xintai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine , , ,
Abstract
The term “intratumoral microbiota” refers to the microbial communities that reside within tumor tissues, including bacteria, fungi, mycoplasma, and viruses. Accumulating evidence indicates that the intratumoral microbiota is closely associated with tumor initiation and progression. Nevertheless, the impact of these microbes on radiotherapy outcomes remains largely unexplored. In this review, we discussed how the intratumoral microbiota influences radiation response, highlighting the diverse mechanisms through which microbial communities modulate tumor cell behavior. Specifically, intratumoral microbes may confer radioresistance by enhancing DNA damage repair, reprogramming core metabolic pathways, regulating the cell cycle, and modulating autophagy, thereby diminishing radiotherapy efficacy. Conversely, certain microorganisms can enhance radiosensitivity by directly inducing DNA damage in host tumor cells, activating antitumor immune responses, or elevating intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS) levels, thereby amplifying radiation-induced cytotoxicity. Additionally, microbial aggravation of tumor hypoxia may further diminish radiosensitivity by creating a more radioresistant tumor microenvironment. Therefore, the regulatory role of the intratumoral microbiota in radiotherapy sensitivity provides a novel direction for cancer therapy. Strategies that precisely target the intratumoral microbiota hold promise as important approaches for overcoming radioresistance and improving treatment outcomes in patients with cancer.
Related
- Intratumoral microbiota and their emerging role in the tumor microenvironment.
- Intratumoral microbiota heterogeneity and Bifidobacterium abundance are linked to very early recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma
- Reactive Oxygen Species as Central Coordinators of Organelle Stress and Tumor Radiosensitivity.
- The intratumoral microbiome in breast cancer: an actionable component of the tumor immune microenvironment
- Gut microbiota modulation of gastrointestinal cancers: from dysbiosis signatures to therapeutic interventions
BibTeX
@article{zhu2026intratumoral,
title = {{Intratumoral microbiota: bidirectional modulation of tumor radiosensitivity}},
author = {Fangfei Zhu and Shuting Han and Wenxiao Jia and Yiming Cao and Hui Zhu},
journal = {Frontiers in immunology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2026.1945760},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13669670},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Intratumoral microbiota: bidirectional modulation of tumor radiosensitivity
AU - Fangfei Zhu
AU - Shuting Han
AU - Wenxiao Jia
AU - Yiming Cao
AU - Hui Zhu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Frontiers in immunology
DO - 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1945760
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13669670
AB - The term “intratumoral microbiota” refers to the microbial communities that reside within tumor tissues, including bacteria, fungi, mycoplasma, and viruses. Accumulating evidence indicates that the intratumoral microbiota is closely associated with tumor initiation and progression. Nevertheless, the impact of these microbes on radiotherapy outcomes remains largely unexplored. In this review, we discussed how the intratumoral microbiota influences radiation response, highlighting the diverse mechanisms through which microbial communities modulate tumor cell behavior. Specifically, intratumoral microbes may confer radioresistance by enhancing DNA damage repair, reprogramming core metabolic pathways, regulating the cell cycle, and modulating autophagy, thereby diminishing radiotherapy efficacy. Conversely, certain microorganisms can enhance radiosensitivity by directly inducing DNA damage in host tumor cells, activating antitumor immune responses, or elevating intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS) levels, thereby amplifying radiation-induced cytotoxicity. Additionally, microbial aggravation of tumor hypoxia may further diminish radiosensitivity by creating a more radioresistant tumor microenvironment. Therefore, the regulatory role of the intratumoral microbiota in radiotherapy sensitivity provides a novel direction for cancer therapy. Strategies that precisely target the intratumoral microbiota hold promise as important approaches for overcoming radioresistance and improving treatment outcomes in patients with cancer.
SN - 1664-3224
ER -