Supplementing the bodies of cancer patients with beneficial gut bacteria may help improve their response to immunotherapy and limit some of the serious complications associated with this therapy.
According to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Ottawa, Canadian scientists have just published promising research results on fecal microbial transplantation (FMT), showing the potential to enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapy for some late-stage cancer patients, while reducing serious, potentially life-threatening side effects.
According to two studies published on April 13 in the journal Nature Medicine, supplementing cancer patients with beneficial gut bacteria may help improve their response to immunotherapy and limit some of the serious complications associated with this therapy.
Fecal microbiota transplantation is a method of transferring healthy gut microbiota from a donor to a patient in order to restore the balance of bacteria in the digestive tract.
In trials in Canada, stool samples from donors were rigorously screened to ensure they were free of harmful bacteria, pathogens, or viruses, and then processed into capsules for oral administration by patients.
A phase 1 clinical trial in patients with advanced kidney cancer showed that fecal microbiota transplantation is safe and has the potential to reduce toxic side effects of immunotherapy, including colitis and severe diarrhea.
According to scientists, this is the first study to document the benefits of transplanting microorganisms from feces in supporting the treatment of kidney cancer.
Meanwhile, a phase 2 clinical trial conducted by researchers at the University Hospital Montreal Research Centre (CRCHUM) in collaboration with a research team in Ontario on 20 lung cancer patients and 20 melanoma patients yielded positive results. All patients received a single fecal microbiota transplant before beginning immunotherapy.
The results showed that 80% of lung cancer patients responded to immunotherapy, nearly double the usual response rate. In the melanoma group, the response rate reached 75%.
The study also found that certain harmful gut bacteria appear to impair the effectiveness of immunotherapy, opening up the possibility of developing personalized microbiome therapies tailored to each patient.
Scientist Saman Maleki at the London Centre for Health Sciences Research, who participated in both trials, considers this a significant step forward in the field of microbiome research.
According to him, the fact that three independent studies, including one in Europe published at the same time, all yielded positive results regarding the potential for improving immune response through the transplantation of microorganisms from feces is a very encouraging sign.
Sharing this view, Dr. Michael Silverman, a scientist at the Lawson Institute and Medical Director of Infectious Diseases at St. Joseph's Hospital, believes that transplanting microorganisms from feces could help minimize or prevent serious, even life-threatening, side effects of immunotherapy. This is particularly significant in helping patients maintain treatment for longer periods, thereby extending their lifespan.
Currently, fecal microbiota transplantation has been approved in Canada for the treatment of recurrent Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) intestinal infections, a dangerous and potentially fatal disease.
The success of this method in treating C. diff has laid the foundation for scientists to further expand research to other diseases, including cancer.
These initial results are expected to pave the way for new treatments that leverage the role of the gut microbiome to support the fight against cancer in the future.