Research Progress on the Immune-associated Role of Intratumoral Microbiota in the Occurrence and Development of Lung Cancer

Recent studies have found that the intratumoral microbiota play a significant role in the occurrence and development of lung cancer by regulating the immune microenvironment, metabolic reprogramming, and cross-organ interactions with the gut microbiota.Intratumoral pro-tumorigenic microbiota can activate inflammatory pathways such as NF-κB and inhibit T-lymphocyte function, while anti-tumorigenic microbiota enhance anti-tumor immunity through the STING signal and so on.The gut microbiota affect pulmonary immune responses through the "gut-lung axis", and its metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids and secondary bile acids further regulate tumor progression.

Targeted microbiota intervention strategies, including engineered bacteria and fecal microbiota transplantation, have shown potential for synergy with immunotherapy in preclinical studies.Despite some progress in this area of research, challenges such as technical difficulties and unclear mechanisms remain.This article reviews the pro-tumorigenic and anti-tumorigenic roles of intratumoral microbiota in the lung cancer microenvironment,and expect to provide new ideas for the early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.