Editorial: The microbiome in cancer therapy response

This Research Topic brings together reviews, methodological advances, and original research that collectively examine how microbiome-driven processes intersect with cancer immunity, metabolism, and therapeutic response. Rather than focusing on a single cancer type or intervention, these contributions highlight shared biological principles and experimental approaches that are shaping microbiome-informed oncology.A central theme across this Topic is the interaction between the microbiome and anti-tumor immunity. One review by El-Derby et al. introduces immune-reactive tumor organoids as an innovative ex vivo platform to investigate how microbial metabolites influence cancer immunity and immunotherapeutic efficacy 10 . By incorporating tumor cells, immune components, and microbiome-derived factors, this system addresses key limitations of conventional in vitro models and provides a tractable approach for patient-specific mechanistic studies. The application of such platforms represents an important step toward personalized assessment of microbiome-immunetumor interactions and treatment prediction. Collectively, the articles in this Research Topic position the microbiome-immunity-metabolism axis as a central regulator of cancer biology including both cancer risk and progression to therapeutic response. These contributions emphasize the context-dependent nature of microbiome effects and the necessity of integrative, mechanistically informed approaches. Continued progress will rely on leveraging advanced experimental models, standardized methodologies, and inclusive research strategies to translate microbiome insights into effective, equitable cancer therapies.