[Abstract]Esophageal cancer is a highly aggressive malignancy within the digestive system, characterized by a high incidence rate and a generally poor prognosis. In recent years, accumulating evidence has indicated that the intratumoral microbiota plays a significant role in the initiation and progression of esophageal cancer. These microbial communities may originate from the migration of adjacent tissues, disruption of the mucosal barrier, or hematogenous dissemination, and they influence tumor development through various mechanisms, including direct microbial-tumor interactions, metabolic byproducts, induction of chronic inflammation, and modulation of the immune response. This article reviews the detection techniques of the bacterial flora within esophageal cancer, the differences in the bacterial flora, the mechanism of its role in the occurrence and development of the tumor, as well as the related researches on its impact on the treatment outcome.
ObjectiveTo summarize the current status of research in the correlation between the liver diseases and oral microbiota, to provide the scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of oral diseases in the patients with liver diseases, and to provide the guidance for further research on the biomarkers for the noninvasive diagnosis of liver diseases.MethodThe related literatures about the studies of correlation between liver diseases and oral microbiota were reviewed by searching the databases such as the PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang, etc.ResultsAs the second richest microbiota, the oral flora closely interacted with the hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, liver cancer, etc. Meanwhile, the prognosis of patients underwent liver transplantation was also closely correlated to oral flora.ConclusionsSpecific oral flora in patients with different liver diseases may be a potential non-invasive diagnostic biomarker. At the same time, it is necessary to pay attention to oral health and maintain oral microbiota balance for preventing and treating of liver diseases.
ObjectiveTo summarize recent progress in research on intratumoral and local microbiota associated with gallbladder cancer, with a focus on their potential sources, key microbial taxa, possible mechanisms, clinical implications, and methodological challenges, thereby providing evidence for early identification, risk assessment, and microbiota-based intervention studies of gallbladder cancer. MethodsRecent studies on gallbladder cancer, biliary tract tumors, and tumor-associated microbiota were reviewed, and evidence from bile microbiota, gallbladder mucosa-associated microbiota, and microorganisms detected in tumor tissues was comparatively analyzed. ResultsAvailable evidence suggests that microbiota-associated alterations in gallbladder cancer may be related to retrograde translocation along the gut-biliary axis, hematogenous or portal venous dissemination, and local biliary ecological imbalance. The major taxa reported include Salmonella Typhi, Fusobacterium, Escherichia, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, and Helicobacter. These microorganisms may contribute to gallbladder carcinogenesis through persistent inflammation, DNA damage, bile acid and lipid metabolic reprogramming, immune microenvironment remodeling, and modulation of therapeutic response. However, biliary microbiota, gallbladder mucosa-associated microbiota, and bona fide intratumoral microbiota are not completely equivalent. Low-biomass contamination, host background interference, heterogeneous study designs, and insufficient causal validation remain major limitations in this field. ConclusionsMicrobiota-related research in gallbladder cancer shows potential clinical value, but direct gallbladder cancer-specific evidence is still limited. Future studies should strengthen standardized sampling, multi-omics integration, and functional validation to improve reproducibility and translational relevance.
