HemaCare Blog Combining Microbial Therapy with Immunotherapy May Help the Immune System Attack Cancer Cells

Researchers discovered how the gut microbiome helps our immune system fight tumors that are cancerous. The gut microbiome has beneficial effects on health, and alterations in the microbiota can increase the risk of a number of illnesses. Past studies suggest that the gut microbiota can affect anti-tumor immunity, and recently, that it can be used to simulate the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Immune checkpoints are proteins that prevent immune cells from targeting and killing the body’s own cells. However, tumor cells can use these checkpoint proteins (CTLA-4, PD-1, or PD-L1) to evade the immune system’s attack.