# The impact of gut microbiota on leukemia and prospects for novel therapies

**Authors:** Saba Jalalifar, Bahar Bajelan, Reihane Mohammadi, Roya Ghafoury, Zahra Kalhori, Kamran Pooshang-Bagheri, Reza Nekouian, Mohammad Faranoush

PMC · DOI: 10.1016/j.imj.2026.100239 · 2026-02-10

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how gut microbes may influence leukemia and how targeting them could lead to new treatments.

## Contribution

The paper highlights novel microbiome-based therapies for leukemia and emphasizes the need for personalized strategies.

## Key findings

- Microbiome-targeted therapies may improve leukemia treatment through immune and metabolic modulation.
- Most findings remain correlative and limited by small, heterogeneous studies.
- Personalized microbiome strategies could refine leukemia management and improve survival.

## Abstract

The Human Microbiome Project has underscored the pivotal role of the gut microbiome in human health, revealing its potential influence on leukemia development, progression, and treatment response. This review summarizes evidence on microbiome-targeted therapies such as probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, antimicrobial peptides, and nanoparticles. These approaches may improve leukemia treatment outcomes through immune and metabolic modulation and reduced toxicity. Although emerging data suggest beneficial effects, most findings remain correlative and limited by small, heterogeneous studies. Further mechanistic and clinical research is required to clarify causal pathways, standardize interventions, and evaluate long-term safety. Personalized microbiome-based strategies that integrate molecular and immunologic profiling may ultimately refine leukemia management and improve survival.

## Linked entities

- **Diseases:** leukemia (MONDO:0004355)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** ITGAM (integrin subunit alpha M) [NCBI Gene 3684] {aka CD11B, CR3A, HNA-4, MAC-1, MAC1A, MO1A}, HDAC9 (histone deacetylase 9) [NCBI Gene 9734] {aka HD7, HD7b, HD9, HDAC, HDAC7B, HDAC9B}, CD14 (CD14 molecule) [NCBI Gene 929], IL6 (interleukin 6) [NCBI Gene 3569] {aka BSF-2, BSF2, CDF, HGF, HSF, IFN-beta-2}, CRP (C-reactive protein) [NCBI Gene 1401] {aka PTX1}, IL17A (interleukin 17A) [NCBI Gene 3605] {aka CTLA-8, CTLA8, IL-17, IL-17A, IL17, ILA17}, NFKB1 (nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1) [NCBI Gene 4790] {aka CVID12, EBP-1, KBF1, NF-kB, NF-kB1, NF-kappa-B1}, IL1B (interleukin 1 beta) [NCBI Gene 3553] {aka IL-1, IL1-BETA, IL1F2, IL1beta}, AHR (aryl hydrocarbon receptor) [NCBI Gene 196] {aka FVH3, RP85, bHLHe76}, STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) [NCBI Gene 6774] {aka ADMIO, ADMIO1, APRF, HIES}, TLR2 (toll like receptor 2) [NCBI Gene 7097] {aka CD282, TIL4}, TNF (tumor necrosis factor) [NCBI Gene 7124] {aka DIF, IMD127, TNF-alpha, TNFA, TNFSF2, TNLG1F}, IL10 (interleukin 10) [NCBI Gene 3586] {aka CSIF, GVHDS, IL-10, IL10A, TGIF}
- **Diseases:** Immune dysregulation (OMIM:614878), necrotic (MESH:D009336), tissue injury (MESH:D017695), febrile neutropenia (MESH:D064147), bloodstream infection (MESH:D018805), mucosal injury (MESH:D052016), systemic (MESH:D015619), infection (MESH:D007239), gastrointestinal toxicity (MESH:D005767), ALL (MESH:D054198), bacteremia (MESH:D016470), cytotoxic (MESH:D064420), oral mucositis (MESH:D013280), Leukemia (MESH:D007938), metabolic and neoplastic disorders (MESH:D008659), AML (MESH:D015470), Hematologic malignancies (MESH:D019337), Hypoxia (MESH:D000860), nausea (MESH:D009325), diarrhea (MESH:D003967), Cancer (MESH:D009369), Dysbiosis (MESH:D064806), CML (MESH:D015464), GVHD (MESH:D006086), Chronic inflammation (MESH:D007249), gastrointestinal symptoms (MESH:D012817), systemic infections (MESH:D012141), Mitochondrial dysfunction (MESH:D028361), CLL (MESH:D015451)
- **Chemicals:** tryptophan (MESH:D014364), calcium (MESH:D002118), ROS (MESH:D017382), SCFA (MESH:D005232), cytosine arabinoside (MESH:D003561), lipopolysaccharide (MESH:D008070), butyrate (MESH:D002087), amino-acid (MESH:D000596), propionate (MESH:D011422), D-pep-P6 (-), bile-acid (MESH:D001647), doxorubicin (MESH:D004317), iron-oxide (MESH:C000499), inulin (MESH:D007444), water (MESH:D014867), lactic acid (MESH:D019344), blinatumomab (MESH:C510808), AMP (MESH:D000089882)
- **Species:** Anaerostipes (genus) [taxon 207244], gut metagenome (species) [taxon 749906], Blautia (genus) [taxon 572511], Bacteroidia (class) [taxon 200643], Bacillota (clostridial firmicutes, phylum) [taxon 1239], Enterobacteriaceae (enterobacteria, family) [taxon 543], Lactococcus (lactic streptococci, genus) [taxon 1357], Bacteroides (genus) [taxon 816], Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606], Enterococcus (genus) [taxon 1350], Roseburia (genus) [taxon 841], Lactobacillus acidophilus (species) [taxon 1579], Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (subspecies) [taxon 302911], Mus musculus (house mouse, species) [taxon 10090], Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (strain) [taxon 568703], Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (species) [taxon 47715], Bifidobacterium longum (species) [taxon 216816], Faecalibacterium (genus) [taxon 216851]
- **Cell lines:** HL-60 — Homo sapiens (Human), Adult acute myeloid leukemia with maturation, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0002)

## Figures

2 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12966719/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12966719