Diet-microbiome interactions in cancer
Abstract
Diet impacts cancer in diverse manners. Multiple nutritional effects on tumors are mediated by dietary modulation of commensals, residing in mucosal surfaces and possibly also within the tumor microenvironment. Mechanistically understanding such diet-microbiome-host interactions may enable to develop precision nutritional interventions impacting cancer development, dissemination, and treatment responses. However, data-driven nutritional strategies integrating diet-microbiome interactions are infrequently incorporated into cancer prevention and treatment schemes. Herein, we discuss how dietary composition affects cancer-related processes through alterations exerted by specific nutrients and complex foods on the microbiome. We highlight how dietary timing, including time-restricted feeding, impacts microbial function in modulating cancer and its therapy. We review existing and experimental nutritional approaches aimed at enhancing microbiome-mediated cancer treatment responsiveness while minimizing adverse effects, and address challenges and prospects in integrating diet-microbiome interactions into precision oncology. Collectively, mechanistically understanding diet-microbiome-host interactomes may enable to achieve a personalized and microbiome-informed optimization of nutritional cancer interventions.
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Current evidence-based guidelines emphasize dietary patterns that support a healthy microbiome, including high-fiber and polyphenol-rich diets, as components of cancer prevention strategies.
“Current evidence-based guidelines already emphasize dietary patterns that support a healthy microbiome, including high-fiber and polyphenol-rich diets, as components of cancer prevention strategies [68]”
From Phage therapy in oncology: opportunities for cancer prevention and treatment (2026) · cites this paper as [68]
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Phage therapy in oncology: opportunities for cancer prevention and treatment
Mutalik, V. K., Inman, J. L., Chang, H., Arkin, A., & Mao, J.-H. (2026) · Trends in Molecular Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.molmed.2026.02.001 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
- Authors
- Abdeen, S. K., Mastandrea, I., Stinchcombe, N., Puschhof, J., & Elinav, E.
- Affiliations
- Weizmann Institute of Science (IL)
- German Cancer Research Center (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Puschhof, Jens
- Elinav, Eran
- Venue
- Cancer Cell
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2025-04
- Volume
- 43
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 680-707
- ISSN
- 1535-6108 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4409189957
- Cited by
- 36
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 22 · 2025: 14
- FWCI
- 3.16
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Cancer Cell (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- DKFZ
- Novo Nordisk Fonden (NNF24SA0092455)
- Weizmann Institute of Science
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- European Research Council
- European Commission
- Helmholtz Association
- Council for Higher Education
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Dietary Effects on Health
- Keywords
- diet-microbiome interactions, gut microbiota, cancer, dietary intervention, time-restricted feeding, meal timing, tumor microenvironment, precision oncology, tumor response, cancer prevention, host-microbe interactions
- MeSH terms
- Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Animals, Diet, Humans, Neoplasms, Tumor Microenvironment, Microbiota
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