Characterization of the human tumor microbiome reveals tumor-type specific intra-cellular bacteria.

Many characteristics of cancer such as proliferation, survival, progression, immunogenicity, sensitivity, and resistance to therapy are not just endogenously driven by the tumor cells themselves, but are greatly affected by their interaction with the components of their microenvironment. In our recent report, we comprehensively characterized the bacterial content of solid tumors, which is strongly related to tumor type and subtype, largely presenting as metabolically-active and intra-cellular. Our integration with clinical patient data indicates potential avenues of cross-talk between the tumors and their bacterial counterparts paving the way for a deeper understanding of the physiological/biological context of the tumor and how to harness bacteria in therapy settings.