Ahmet Dirican, Professor of Medical Oncology at Medicana International İzmir Hospital, shared a post on X:
“Gut microbiome-driven modulation of the tumor immune microenvironment optimizes dual checkpoint blockade in advanced NSCLC (ESMO Open 2026)
- High microbiome diversity -> longer PFS with ipilimumab + nivolumab
- SCFA-producing bacteria enriched in responders
- Low diversity patients may benefit from adding chemotherapy
- Recent antibiotic use -> significantly worse PFS and OS
- PPI use associated with shorter OS
Maybe the true biomarker for dual immunotherapy isn’t just PD-L1… but the gut microbiome. In my view, over-the-counter probiotics may not enhance – and could potentially impair – immunotherapy outcomes. Most commercial formulations do not contain the SCFA-producing bacteria linked to response. Random supplementation may suppress natural microbial diversity rather than restore it. Microbiome modulation requires precision – not indiscriminate replacement.”
Title: Gut microbiome-driven modulation of the tumor immune microenvironment optimizes dual checkpoint blockade in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer
Authors: Y. Katayama, A. Fukuda, R. Inoue, H. Kawachi, R. Sawada, T. Harada, A. Yoshimura, A. Okada, S. Shiotsu, Y. Chihara, Y. Takemura, T. Yamada, N. Nishioka, M. Iwasaku, S. Tokuda, T. Takagi, S. Kumagai, S. Koyama, K. Takayama, T. Yamada.
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