A Study on the Microbiome within Oropharyngeal Cancer Tissues

口咽癌(Oropharyngeal Cancer, OPC)是头颈部较常见的恶性肿瘤之一，有较高的发病率和死亡率，预防和治疗策略需要新的突破。随着对OPC研究的不断加深，微生物群(包括与口咽直接接触的以及存在于OPC组织内的数万亿微生物)的重要作用被逐渐认识到，他们在OPC的发生发展过程中扮演着重要角色。了解复杂微生物群落和单个微生物在OPC发病机制中的作用及机制，将有助于我们寻找新的OPC预防及治疗干预措施。本综述广泛检索了国内外相关文献，涵盖了微生物组学、OPC流行病学、分子生物学以及临床研究等多个领域，共引用了68篇高质量的研究文献，包括临床试验、队列研究、机制探讨以及综述文章。我们总结了当前有关OPC中微生物组学领域研究成果、研究方法、存在的争议以及研究的方向，详细讨论微生物群的整体和特定微生物与OPC的关联、微生物可能驱动OPC发展的潜在机制以及在OPC发病机制中的作用。本综述强调了微生物群在OPC发病机制中的重要性，并指出其在OPC预防和治疗中的潜在应用价值。未来的研究应进一步探索微生物群与OPC之间的因果关系，优化研究设计，以期为OPC的精准预防和治疗提供新的策略和靶点。Oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) is one of the more common malignancies in the head and neck region, characterized by high incidence and mortality rates. New breakthroughs in prevention and treatment strategies are urgently needed. With the deepening of research on OPC, the significant role of the microbiota (including trillions of microorganisms in direct contact with the oropharynx and those residing within OPC tissues) has gradually been recognized. These microorganisms play a crucial role in the development and progression of OPC. Understanding the roles and mechanisms of complex microbial communities and individual microorganisms in the pathogenesis of OPC will facilitate the identification of novel preventive and therapeutic interventions for OPC. This review extensively searched for relevant literature from both domestic and international sources, covering multiple fields including microbiomics, OPC epidemiology, molecular biology, and clinical research. A total of 68 high-quality studies were cited, including clinical trials, cohort studies, mechanistic investigations, and review articles. In this review, we summarize the current research findings, methodologies, controversies, and future directions in the field of OPC microbiomics. We provide a detailed discussion on the associations between the overall microbiota and specific microorganisms with OPC, the potential mechanisms by which microbes may drive OPC development, and their roles in the pathogenesis of OPC. This review highlights the importance of the microbiota in the pathogenesis of OPC and underscores its potential applications in OPC prevention and treatment. Future studies should further explore the causal relationships between the microbiota and OPC, optimize research designs, and aim to provide new strategies and targets for the precision prevention and treatment of OPC.