Characterization of the human tumor microbiome reveals tumor type-specific intracellular bacteria
The human body is host to a huge amount of bacteria – most rigorously characterized in niches such as the gut and skin. We have profiled over 1500 tumors and their adjacent normal tissues across seven cancer types, in order to characterize the human tumor microbiome. We found that each tumor type has its specific microbiome composition and that breast tumors harbor a richer and more diverse microbiome. While the mutual effects between the bacteria and tumors are not fully understood yet – we noted correlations between specific bacteria with tumor types and subtypes, patients’ smoking status, and the response to immunotherapy.
