Why should we need the gut microbiota to respond to cancer therapies?

Abstract

Cyclophosphamide, one of the most efficient tumoricidal, antiangiogenic, and immunostimulatory drugs employed to date mediates part of its effects through intestinal bacteria, against which the host becomes immunized during treatment. Our recent work suggests that anti-commensal effector pTH17 and memory TH1 CD4+ T-cell responses are indispensable for optimal anticancer effects as mediated by cyclophosphamide. © 2014 Landes Bioscience.