The research team led by Dr. Yi-Hsiang Huang from the Health Management Center at Taipei Veterans General Hospital has discovered a significant correlation between the gut microbiota of liver cancer patients and the effectiveness of immunotherapy. Analyzing 112 liver cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy, the team found that patients with higher levels of *Lachnoclostridium* and lower levels of *Prevotella 9* in their gut responded better to immunotherapy and had higher survival rates. Further analysis revealed a positive correlation between the abundance of *Lachnoclostridium* and the concentration of secondary bile acids in the feces. This finding offers a new avenue for liver cancer treatment, potentially enabling doctors to more accurately predict patients' responses to treatment and optimize therapy strategies.

How Gut Microbes Influence Immunotherapy for Liver Cancer: Expert Analysis

The gut microbiota is closely linked to the human immune system. Recent studies have shown that gut microbes can modulate the response to immunotherapy in melanoma, certain lung cancers, and kidney cancer. Gut microbes can regulate immune cell functions by producing metabolites or directly interacting with immune cells, such as promoting T-cell activation or inhibiting immune responses. Some gut bacteria can even influence the tumor microenvironment by altering tumor angiogenesis or preventing immune cells from infiltrating the tumor.

The composition of gut microbes varies among individuals, leading to different responses to immunotherapy. By analyzing the gut microbiota composition, it is possible to predict patients' responses to immunotherapy and adjust treatment strategies accordingly.

Potential Applications of Gut Microbiota Testing in Liver Cancer Treatment: NTUH's Active Development

Gut microbiota testing technology offers several advantages:

-Non-invasive: Gut microbiota can be assessed through fecal testing, a non-invasive method.

-High accuracy: Current 16S rRNA sequencing technology can accurately analyze the composition of gut microbiota.

-Repeatability: Gut microbiota testing can be repeatedly conducted to monitor patients' treatment responses.

Dr. Yi-Hsiang Huang stated that this research is currently the only study with an independent validation cohort that links gut microbiota with liver cancer immunotherapy response, showcasing its high innovation and pioneering nature. Future developments may include gut microbiota testing kits to help doctors predict patients' immunotherapy outcomes and adjust treatment strategies to enhance therapeutic efficacy. Additionally, the research team is actively developing techniques to isolate specific gut microbiota strains, aiming to produce probiotics or health supplements to optimize patients' gut environments for better immunotherapy responses. This research has been published in a renowned international cancer treatment journal and won the Best Liver Cancer Research Award at the 2022 European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Annual Meeting.

Resource (mandarin): 養好菌抗肝癌！ 北榮發現腸道菌相可預測免疫治療效果！