Page 39 - GTM-2-2

Global Translational Medicine Gut microbiota in Onco-Hematology

an extensive study following a specific SCFA-mediated beyond GIT disorders, it must be mentioned that a lot is
pathway aiming to provide immunomodulatory effects is still unknown about the involvement of gut microbiota as
a desirable and appealing research area that could facilitate part of therapy; especially, the mechanism responsible for
the detection of important targets directed toward its efficacy [97,100,101] .
improving cancer therapy.
It is rather encouraging that to avoid or overcome some of
6. Current challenges facing gut microbiota the current impediments in microbiota applications, there is
studies now a recent establishment of the STORMS (Strengthening
The Organizing and Reporting of Microbiome Studies);
Studies involving gut or human microbiota are remarkable; this idea was formed as a tool to provide guidelines toward
although these studies may be innovative, challenges still planning the studies involving microbiota and preparation
exist . This is based on the fact that the composition of the manuscripts in terms of reporting data obtained [102] .
[91]
of the microbiota has a huge possibility to change. This In addition, the “so-called” MBQC, that is, The Microbiome
may be attributable to factors that include ethnic origin, Quality Control project, is a collaborative initiative
geographical location, antibiotics, chronic medication designed to administer or manage the development of
or prescription drugs, and specific variations in terms good practices in the field of microbiota. This was formed
of lifestyle and dietary patterns . Therefore, careful with the idea to identify or ascertain sources of variation in
[92]
consideration should be taken when planning studies microbiome studies, quantify their magnitudes, and assess
involving gut microbiota. the design and utility of different positive and negative
With current technological advancement, such activities control strategies [103-105] . This is an appropriate step in the
have demonstrated more detailed insights regarding the right direction because documented standard operation
relationship between the host and the microbiota. However, procedures (SOPs) will ensure reliability toward future
essential information like the generation time, a confluence of investigations or analysis in both the clinical and laboratory
gut microbiota, and flux or interaction of metabolites found setting, including translational medicine.
in the gut continue to be unknown. In addition, information
on how gut microbiota and the host fundamentally establish 7. Conclusion and future perspectives
this intercommunication and symbiotic relationship is still Studies involving gut microbiota have become a hot
lacking. Such limitations include mobile genetic elements spot for researchers in recent years. Recent studies have
within the gut microbiota study field. Defining these indicated that gut microbiota represents an important
parameters could be essential for the aim of trying to further factor in innate and adaptive immune responses and the
understand gut microbiota studies . pathophysiology of associated diseases; this has resulted
[93]
Other areas of significance importance are activities in an overall impact on the patient outcome, including
relating to preclinical studies or experiments, whereby housing the development of hematological malignancies as well as
relating to animals to be experimented on may also be a factor. other related disorders. Investigations toward microbiota
Some elements, also referred to as cage effects, tend to present in hematological malignancies could elucidate the
some challenges in microbiome studies involving mice and pathogenesis of the underlying diseases, especially where
are potentially significant for other laboratory animals in the etiology is unknown. It is essential to understand
a similar fashion. Mice are usually placed in the same cage the role of microbiota to enable us to execute beneficial
and share similar kinds of gut microbiota consequent to interventions to prevent comorbidities linked to GVHD,
coprophagia . An investigation showed that mouse strain infections, and the late effects of therapy. Although a
[94]
contributed a variation of about 19% in gut microbiota, while variety of descriptive studies have been comprehensive
[95]
cage effects contributed about 31% . in mouse models and clinical settings, mechanistic and
Another area of scrutiny in recent years is that the use functional studies are nevertheless required in numerous
of human microbiota has emerged as one of the key targets, areas. While this is a recent challenge to explore for clinical
especially when it comes to the latest employed therapeutic physicians from a knowledge viewpoint, concurrently, this
approach in the medical fraternity in the area of personalized opens up opportunities for more personalized or precision
medicine. This therapeutic approach has been able to offer medicine by means of modulating the microbiota before
quite interesting solutions for a number of environmental and during the course of the disease.
and metabolic diseases [96,97] . For instance, though FMT is an Acknowledgments
approved treatment approach for recurrent and refractory
cases involving C. difficile infections [98,99] in countries like We would like to thank Mr. Raymond White, Managing
the USA and also a potential therapy expanding to fields Editor of Primedia, for the helpful discussion and revision

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2023) 9 https://doi.org/10.36922/gtm.0389