The Role of Microbiota in Cancer Development and Therapy
A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Microbiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 6
Special Issue Editor
Interests: cancers; viral infection; emerging pathogens; diagnosis; treatment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue aims to explore the complex and increasingly recognized role of the human microbiota in cancer development, progression, and treatment response. Microbial communities residing in the gut, oral cavity, skin, and other body sites have profound effects on host immunity, metabolism, and inflammation—key factors influencing tumorigenesis. Recent advances highlight the microbiota’s dual role: certain microbial populations contribute to carcinogenesis, while others exhibit protective or therapeutic potential.
Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Mechanistic links between dysbiosis and cancer initiation or progression;
- The impact of microbiota on tumor microenvironment and immune modulation;
- Microbial biomarkers for cancer risk, prognosis, and therapy response;
- The influence of microbiota on chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy efficacy and toxicity;
- Microbiome-targeted interventions (e.g., probiotics, antibiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation) in cancer prevention and treatment;
- Interactions between diet, microbiota, and cancer;
By integrating microbiology, oncology, immunology, and systems biology, this Special Issue aims to deepen our understanding of how modulating the microbiome may unlock novel strategies for cancer prevention, diagnosis, and personalized therapy.
Dr. Shengxi Chen
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- microbiota
- microbiome
- cancer
- tumorigenesis
- dysbiosis
- inflammation
- immune modulation
- gut microbiota
- tumor microenvironment
- cancer therapy
- microbial metabolites
- probiotics
- cancer prevention
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.