Combining gut microbiota modulation and immunotherapy: A promising approach for treating microsatellite stable colorectal cancer

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent and lethal cancers worldwide, ranking third in incidence and second in mortality. While immunotherapy has shown promise in patients with deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) or high microsatellite instability (MSI-H), its effectiveness in proficient mismatch repair (pMMR) or microsatellite stable (MSS) CRC remains limited. Recent advances highlight the gut microbiota as a potential modulator of anti-tumor immunity. The gut microbiome can significantly influence the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), especially in pMMR/MSS CRC, by modulating immune responses and systemic inflammation. This review explores the role of the gut microbiota in pMMR/MSS CRC, the mechanisms by which it may enhance immunotherapy, and current strategies for microbiota modulation. We discuss the potential benefits of combining microbiota-targeting interventions with immunotherapy to improve treatment outcomes for pMMR/MSS CRC patients.