Unraveling the association between gut microbiota and chemotherapy efficacy: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study

Emerging evidence has underscored the complex link between gut microbiota and chemotherapy efficacy; however, establishing causality remains elusive due to confounding factors. This study, leveraging bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses, explores the casual relationship between gut microbiota and chemotherapy efficacy. Utilizing genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from the MiBioGen consortium for gut microbiota and IEU Open GWAS for chemotherapy efficacy, we employed genetic variants as instrumental variables (IVs). The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method, weighted median estimator (WME), and MR-Egger regression method were applied, with sensitivity analyses ensuring robustness. Furthermore, we conducted reverse MR analyses between chemotherapy efficacy and identified significant gut microbial taxa. The results indicated that (OR = 3.7908, 95% CI: 1.4464-9.9350, = 0.01), (OR = 3.3295, 95% CI: 1.2794-8.6643, = 0.01), (OR = 2.6284, 95% CI: 1.0548-6.5498, = 0.04), and (OR = 2.5694, 95% CI: 1.0392-6.3526, = 0.04) were positively associated with chemotherapy efficacy using the IVW method. Conversely, (OR = 0.2283, 95% CI: 0.0699-0.7461, = 0.01) and (OR = 0.4953, 95% CI: 0.2443-1.0043, = 0.05) exhibited negative associations. WME demonstrated consistent results with IVW method only for (OR = 0.3343, 95% CI: 0.1298-0.8610, = 0.02). No significant heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy was observed. Reverse MR analyses revealed no significant causal effect of chemotherapy on identified gut microbiota. This study sheds light on the intricate relationship between gut microbiota, with a particular emphasis on the , and chemotherapy efficacy, offering valuable insights for refining cancer treatment strategies.IMPORTANCEGlobal advancements in cancer treatment, particularly in chemotherapy, have notably decreased mortality rates in recent years. However, the correlation between gut microbiota and chemotherapy efficacy remains elusive. Our study, emphasizing the role of , represented a crucial advance in elucidating this intricate interplay. The identified associations offer potential therapeutic targets, contributing to global efforts for enhanced treatment precision and improved patient outcomes. Furthermore, our findings hold promise for personalized therapeutic interventions, shaping improved strategies in the ever-evolving landscape of cancer treatment.