Smoking-associated modulation of gut microbiota shapes response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer.
Smokers' distinct gut microbiomes enhance immunotherapy response in lung cancer, revealing a mechanism behind this counterintuitive benefit.
In 225 NSCLC patients receiving ICI therapy, baseline fecal microbiome analysis revealed that smoking-associated microbial shifts—specifically reduced Bifidobacterium longum and enriched Gram-negative Gammaproteobacteria—correlate with enhanced ICI efficacy. These findings suggest a microbiome-mediated mechanism for the smoking-ICI interaction and could inform patient stratification strategies.
What the study was
- Study design
- Prospective cohort study
- Population
- NSCLC patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy (n=225)
- Sample size
- 225
- Category
- Treatment Innovation
- Maturity
- Exploratory
- Journal
- Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy
Why it surfaced
Prospective mechanistic insight linking smoking-gut microbiome-ICI response in NSCLC (n=225); hypothesis-generating for microbiome-based ICI stratification.
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