The role of the gut microbiome in hematological cancers.

Humans are in a complex symbiotic relationship with a wide range of microbial organisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The evolution and composition of the human microbiome indicate how it may affect human health and disease susceptibility. Microbiome alteration, termed as dysbiosis, has been linked to the pathogenesis and progression of haematological cancers. A variety of mechanisms, including epithelial barrier disruption, local chronic inflammation response triggering, antigen dis-sequestration, and molecular mimicry have been proposed to be associated with gut microbiota. Dysbiosis may be induced or worsened by cancer therapies (such as chemotherapy and/or haematopoietic stem cell transplantation) or infection. The use of antibiotics during treatment may also promote dysbiosis, with possible long-term consequences. The aim of this review is to provide a succinct summary of the current knowledge describing the role of the microbiome in haematological cancers, as well as its influence on their therapies. Modulation of the gut microbiome, involving modifying beneficial microorganisms in the management and treatment of haematological cancers is also discussed. Furthermore, the latest developments on modelling approaches and tools used for computational analyses of the gut microbiome data are included to aid better understanding in interpretation of information.