Impact of the microbiome on tumor immunity.

Abstract

The microbiome is a potent modulator of host immune responses and over the past years has been shown to impact tumor immunology. Both pro-tumorigenic and anti-tumorigenic functions have been associated with the microbiome and functional studies have pinpointed specific anti-tumor immunity-promoting microbes, such as Akkermansia muciniphila and Bifidobacterium longum. The identification of key host genes and microbe-derived signals involved in anti-tumor immunity is still in its infancy. Here we focus on recent advances in this area, revealing host molecules found to be central in host-microbiome dependent modulation of tumor immunity, and highlight key questions to be tackled in the field.