Editorial
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Oct 6, 2024; 12(28): 6159-6164
Published online Oct 6, 2024. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i28.6159
Hidden army within: Harnessing the microbiome to improve cancer treatment outcomes
Ippokratis Messaritakis, Georgios Vougiouklakis, Asimina Koulouridi, Aris P Agouridis, Nikolaos Spernovasilis
Ippokratis Messaritakis, Department of Microbiology, German Oncology Center & Yiannoukas Labs LTD, Bioiatriki Group, Limassol 4108, Cyprus
Georgios Vougiouklakis, Aris P Agouridis, Department of Internal Medicine, German Oncology Center, Limassol 4108, Cyprus
Asimina Koulouridi, Department of Oncology, German Oncology Center, Limassol 4108, Cyprus
Aris P Agouridis, School of Medicine, European University Cyprus, Nicosia 2404, Cyprus
Nikolaos Spernovasilis, Department of Infectious Diseases, German Oncology Center, Limassol 4108, Cyprus
Author contributions: Messaritakis I, Vougiouklakis G, Koulouridi A, Agouridis AP, and Spernovasilis N contributed to this paper; Messaritakis I and Koulouridi A designed the overall concept and outline of the manuscript; Spernovasilis N contributed to the discussion and design of the manuscript; Messaritakis I and Vougiouklakis G contributed to the writing and review of literature; Koulouridi A, Agouridis AP, and Spernovasilis N contributed to editing the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest 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: Nikolaos Spernovasilis, BSc, MD, MSc, PhD, Director, Department of Infectious Diseases, German Oncology Center, Nikis 1, Limassol 4108, Cyprus. nikspe@hotmail.com
Received: May 14, 2024
Revised: June 6, 2024
Accepted: June 24, 2024
Published online: October 6, 2024
Processing time: 90 Days and 14.8 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: Understanding the intricate relationship between the gut microbiome and cancer treatment outcomes is pivotal in modern oncology. Dysbiosis, an imbalance in gut microbial communities, significantly influences tumor initiation, progression, and response to therapy. Harnessing the microbiome's potential offers novel avenues for personalized cancer care, including optimizing treatment strategies and enhancing immunotherapy efficacy. Multidisciplinary collaboration, standardized methodologies for microbiome profiling, and the development of microbial biomarkers are essential for translating microbiome research into clinical practice. Ethical considerations and regulatory oversight are paramount in ensuring equitable access to emerging microbiome-based interventions while promoting transparency and education among healthcare professionals and the public.