Unveiling the hidden players: exploring the role of gut mycobiome in cancer development and treatment dynamics
Lingxi Li,
Xiaowen Huang,
Haoyan Chen
Affiliations
Lingxi Li
State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China
Xiaowen Huang
State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China
Haoyan Chen
State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China
ABSTRACTThe role of gut fungal species in tumor-related processes remains largely unexplored, with most studies still focusing on fungal infections. This review examines the accumulating evidence suggesting the involvement of commensal and pathogenic fungi in cancer biological process, including oncogenesis, progression, and treatment response. Mechanisms explored include fungal influence on host immunity, secretion of bioactive toxins/metabolites, interaction with bacterial commensals, and migration to other tissues in certain types of cancers. Attempts to utilize fungal molecular signatures for cancer diagnosis and fungal-derived products for treatment are discussed. A few studies highlight fungi’s impact on the responsiveness and sensitivity to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and fecal microbiota transplant. Given the limited understanding and techniques in fungal research, the studies on gut fungi are still facing great challenges, despite having great potentials.
