RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 The commensal consortium of the gut microbiome is associated with favorable responses to anti-programmed death protein 1 (PD-1) therapy in thoracic neoplasms JF Cancer Biology & Medicine JO Cancer Biol Med FD China Anti-Cancer Association SP 1040 OP 1052 DO 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2020.0450 VO 18 IS 4 A1 Huihui Yin A1 Lu Yang A1 Gongxin Peng A1 Ke Yang A1 Yuling Mi A1 Xingsheng Hu A1 Xuezhi Hao A1 Yuchen Jiao A1 Xiaobing Wang A1 Yan Wang YR 2021 UL http://www.cancerbiomed.org/content/18/4/1040.abstract AB Objective: Immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized cancer therapy for multiple types of solid tumors, but as expected, a large percentage of patients do not show durable responses. Biomarkers that can predict clinical responses to immunotherapies at diagnosis are therefore urgently needed. Herein, we determined the associations between baseline gut commensal microbes and the clinical treatment efficiencies of patients with thoracic neoplasms during anti-programmed death protein 1 (PD-1) therapy.Methods: Forty-two patients with advanced thoracic carcinoma who received anti-PD-1 treatment were enrolled in the study. Baseline and time-serial stool samples were analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. Tumor responses, patient progression-free survival, and overall survival were used to measure clinical outcomes.Results: The diversities of the baseline gut microbiota were similar between responders (n = 23) and nonresponders (n = 19). The relative abundances of the Akkermansiaceae, Enterococcaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Carnobacteriaceae and Clostridiales Family XI bacterial families were significantly higher in the responder group. These 5 bacterial families acted as a commensal consortium and better stratified patients according to clinical responses (P = 0.014). Patients with a higher abundance of commensal microbes had prolonged PFS (P = 0.00016). Using multivariable analysis, the abundance of the commensal consortium was identified as an independent predictor of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in thoracic neoplasms (hazard ratio: 0.17; 95% confidence interval: 0.05–0.55; P = 0.003).Conclusions: Baseline gut microbiota may have a critical impact on anti-PD-1 treatment in thoracic neoplasms. The abundance of gut commensal microbes at diagnosis might be useful for the early prediction of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy responses.