The crosstalk between the colon mucosa and the microbiota represents a complex and delicate equilibrium. Gastrointestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer (CRC) are associated with a state of altered microbiota composition known as dysbiosis, which seems to play a causative role in some of these illnesses. Recent reports have shown that the colorectal microbiome is responsible for the response and safety to treatments against CRC, especially immunotherapy, hence opening the possibility to use bacteria as a predictive marker and also as a therapeutic agent. The review objective is to summarize updated reports about the the implication of the colorectal microbiome in the development of CRC, in treatment response and its potential as a therapeutic approach.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.