In colorectal cancer that is microsatellite stable, the presence of Fusobacterium nucleatum bacteria is linked to reduced effectiveness of chemotherapy but improved response to immunotherapy drugs targeting PD-1, with outcomes varying depending on the bacterial strain and the patient's immune characteristics.

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Microbiome-Genome Crosstalk in Colorectal Cancer: Colibactin Signatures and Fusobacterium nucleatum in Epidemiology, Driver Selection, and Translation.

Narrative Review

Human & Animal & In Vitro

2026 Feb 23

This study found that a certain gut bacteria, Fusobacterium nucleatum, can make colon cancer either harder or easier to treat with immunotherapy, depending on the situation — like how some people react differently to the same medicine.

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Source Study

Microbiome-Genome Crosstalk in Colorectal Cancer: Colibactin Signatures and Fusobacterium nucleatum in Epidemiology, Driver Selection, and Translation.

Score: 2

DOI: 10.3390/ijms27042068

Similar Assertions

The bacterium Fusobacterium nucleatum is linked to reduced effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs like 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin in a subtype of colorectal cancer, due to its activation of specific cellular signaling pathways that promote autophagy and inhibit cell death.

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