©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Oncol. Sep 24, 2025; 16(9): 111379
Published online Sep 24, 2025. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i9.111379
Published online Sep 24, 2025. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i9.111379
Emerging multifaceted roles of the microbiome in cancer susceptibility
Hang Chang, Jian-Hua Mao, Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
Jesus Perez-Losada, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (IBMCC-CIC), Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca 37007, Spain
Jesus Perez-Losada, Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca 37007, Spain
Author contributions: Mao JH planned the outline of the manuscript; Chang H, Perez-Losada J and Mao JH wrote and edited the manuscript; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by The United States Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program, No. BC190820; and the National Institutes of Health, No. R01ES031322.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no competing interests.
Corresponding author: Jian-Hua Mao, Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States. jhmao@lbl.gov
Received: June 30, 2025
Revised: July 14, 2025
Accepted: August 21, 2025
Published online: September 24, 2025
Processing time: 87 Days and 11.9 Hours
Revised: July 14, 2025
Accepted: August 21, 2025
Published online: September 24, 2025
Processing time: 87 Days and 11.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Understanding individual susceptibility to cancer is critical for effective prevention and treatment strategies. While genetic studies have identified numerous cancer-susceptibility genes, much of the heritable risk remains unexplained. Emerging evidence indicates the microbiome as a key contributor to this "missing heritability". Microbiomes influence cancer risk through immune modulation, metabolic activity, and interaction with environmental exposures. This review discusses the complex gene-microbiome-environment interplay in cancer susceptibility and emphasizes the value of integrative models and tools, such as collaborative cross mice and artificial intelligence, for uncovering microbial determinants of cancer risk.