The Tumor Microbiome Reacts to Hypoxia and Can Influence Response to Radiation Treatment in Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

Tumor hypoxia reduces radiotherapy efficacy. In this study, we explored whether some of the clinical effects of hypoxia could be due to interaction with the tumor microbiome. Hypoxic gene expression scores associated with certain microbes and elicited an adaptive transcriptional response in others that could contribute to poor clinical outcomes.