The Influence of the microbiome on the innate immune microenvironment of solid tumors

Cancer remains a leading cause of death despite many advances in medical and surgical therapy. In recent decades, the investigation for novel therapeutic strategies with greater efficacy and reduced side effects has led to a deeper understanding of the relationship between the microbiome and the immune system in the context of cancer. The ability of the immune system to detect and kill cancer is now recognized to be greatly influenced by the microbial ecosystem of the host. While most of these studies, as well as currently used immunotherapeutics, focus on the adaptive immune system, this minimizes the impact of the innate immune system in cancer surveillance and its regulation by the host microbiome. In this review, known influences of the microbiome on the innate immune cells in the tumor microenvironment will be discussed in the context of individual innate immune cells. Current and needed areas of investigation will highlight the field and its potential impact in the clinical treatment of solid malignancies.

Automated summary

Despite advances in medical and surgical therapy, cancer remains a leading cause of death. Recent research has focused on the relationship between the microbiome and the immune system, leading to a greater understanding of the impact of the host's microbial ecosystem on the immune system's ability to detect and kill cancer cells. This review discusses the influence of the microbiome on innate immune cells in the tumor microenvironment and highlights the potential impact of this research in the clinical treatment of solid malignancies.