Liu XX, Yang B, Tang DX. Bidirectional regulation of the gut microbiome-immune axis in the immune microenvironment of colorectal cancer and targeted interventions. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2025; 17(10): 109503 [PMID: 41114103 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v17.i10.109503]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Dong-Xin Tang, MD, Chief Physician, Professor, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 4 Dongqing Road, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou Province, China. tdx7712@163.com
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Oct 15, 2025 (publication date) through Oct 26, 2025
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World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology
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1948-5204
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Liu XX, Yang B, Tang DX. Bidirectional regulation of the gut microbiome-immune axis in the immune microenvironment of colorectal cancer and targeted interventions. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2025; 17(10): 109503 [PMID: 41114103 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v17.i10.109503]
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Oct 15, 2025; 17(10): 109503 Published online Oct 15, 2025. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v17.i10.109503
Bidirectional regulation of the gut microbiome-immune axis in the immune microenvironment of colorectal cancer and targeted interventions
Xin-Xin Liu, Bing Yang, Dong-Xin Tang
Xin-Xin Liu, Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
Bing Yang, Youth Leaque Committee, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang 550001, Guizhou Province, China
Dong-Xin Tang, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou Province, China
Author contributions: Liu XX conceptualization, literature review and original draft; Yang B writing, review and editing; Tang DX supervision, conceptualization, review and editing.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Authors declare no conflict of interests for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Dong-Xin Tang, MD, Chief Physician, Professor, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 4 Dongqing Road, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou Province, China. tdx7712@163.com
Received: June 5, 2025 Revised: July 18, 2025 Accepted: September 16, 2025 Published online: October 15, 2025 Processing time: 131 Days and 0 Hours
Abstract
The initiation and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) are profoundly influenced by the complex interplay between the gut microbiota and the immune system, underscoring the clinical importance of exploring the bidirectional regulatory mechanisms of the microbiota-immune axis within the CRC immune microenvironment. Emerging evidence indicates that the composition and functional capacity of the gut microbiota play a vital role in modulating the host’s immune responses, while the immune system, in turn, can reciprocally regulate the structure and function of the microbiota. Despite significant insights into the role of the microbiota-immune axis in CRC progression, several critical questions remain unanswered-including how microbial heterogeneity affects therapeutic outcomes and the specific consequences of dysregulated regulatory mechanisms on the immune microenvironment. This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the compositional features of the CRC immune microenvironment, examine the bidirectional molecular mechanisms underpinning the microbiota-immune axis, and evaluate the potential of targeted therapeutic strategies, thereby offering novel research perspectives and clinical applications for CRC treatment.
Core Tip: This review explores the bidirectional regulation of the microbiota-immune axis in the immune microenvironment of colorectal cancer (CRC). It discusses how gut microbiota influences immune responses and how the immune system modulates microbiota composition. Highlighting the complexity of these interactions, the review addresses unanswered questions about microbiota heterogeneity and its impact on therapeutic outcomes. It also examines targeted interventions and their potential to improve CRC treatment, offering new insights into both the basic mechanisms and clinical applications for effective therapy.
