Commensal bacteria and fungi differentially regulate tumor responses to radiation therapy.

Studies suggest that the efficacy of cancer chemotherapy and immunotherapy is influenced by intestinal bacteria. However, the influence of the microbiome on radiation therapy is not as well understood, and the microbiome comprises more than bacteria. Here, we find that intestinal fungi regulate antitumor immune responses following radiation in mouse models of breast cancer and melanoma and that fungi and bacteria have opposite influences on these responses.

Targeting Innate Immunity to Enhance the Efficacy of Radiation Therapy.

Radiation continues to play a major role in the treatment of almost every cancer type. Traditional radiation studies focused on its ability to damage DNA, but recent evidence has demonstrated that a key mechanism driving the efficacy of radiation is the immune response triggered in irradiated tissue. Innate immune cells including macrophages, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells are key mediators of the radiation-induced immune response.