Functional regulation of cytotoxic T Cells by gut microbial metabolites

Metabolites from gut microbes have a wide range of functions within the host body. One important function of these metabolites is to either positively or negatively control CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), which can kill cancer and virus-infected cells. In healthy conditions, gut microbes produc...

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Main Author: Chang H. Kim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Gut Microbes Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/29933935.2025.2454002
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author Chang H. Kim
author_facet Chang H. Kim
author_sort Chang H. Kim
collection DOAJ
description Metabolites from gut microbes have a wide range of functions within the host body. One important function of these metabolites is to either positively or negatively control CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), which can kill cancer and virus-infected cells. In healthy conditions, gut microbes produce a mixture of metabolites that promote CTL activity but also suppress excessive inflammatory responses. However, gut microbial dysbiosis occurs in patients with cancer, and this leads to changes in the production of gut microbial metabolites that can suppress CTL activity, promote inflammatory responses, and/or aid cancer growth. Decreased levels of CTL-promoting metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, indole metabolites, and polyamines but increased levels of CTL-suppressing metabolites, such as certain bile acids along with oncogenic metabolites, have been observed in patients with cancer. This review summarizes the altered production of major microbial metabolites in patients with cancer and discusses the impact of these changes on anti-cancer CTL responses.
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spelling doaj-art-8040d2cf1f054ccda83b60d62fd50acf2025-08-20T03:22:00ZengTaylor & Francis GroupGut Microbes Reports2993-39352025-12-012110.1080/29933935.2025.2454002Functional regulation of cytotoxic T Cells by gut microbial metabolitesChang H. Kim0Department of Pathology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USAMetabolites from gut microbes have a wide range of functions within the host body. One important function of these metabolites is to either positively or negatively control CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), which can kill cancer and virus-infected cells. In healthy conditions, gut microbes produce a mixture of metabolites that promote CTL activity but also suppress excessive inflammatory responses. However, gut microbial dysbiosis occurs in patients with cancer, and this leads to changes in the production of gut microbial metabolites that can suppress CTL activity, promote inflammatory responses, and/or aid cancer growth. Decreased levels of CTL-promoting metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, indole metabolites, and polyamines but increased levels of CTL-suppressing metabolites, such as certain bile acids along with oncogenic metabolites, have been observed in patients with cancer. This review summarizes the altered production of major microbial metabolites in patients with cancer and discusses the impact of these changes on anti-cancer CTL responses.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/29933935.2025.2454002Microbial metabolitesprebioticspostbioticscancerCD8 T cellscytotoxic lymphocytes
spellingShingle Chang H. Kim
Functional regulation of cytotoxic T Cells by gut microbial metabolites
Gut Microbes Reports
Microbial metabolites
prebiotics
postbiotics
cancer
CD8 T cells
cytotoxic lymphocytes
title Functional regulation of cytotoxic T Cells by gut microbial metabolites
title_full Functional regulation of cytotoxic T Cells by gut microbial metabolites
title_fullStr Functional regulation of cytotoxic T Cells by gut microbial metabolites
title_full_unstemmed Functional regulation of cytotoxic T Cells by gut microbial metabolites
title_short Functional regulation of cytotoxic T Cells by gut microbial metabolites
title_sort functional regulation of cytotoxic t cells by gut microbial metabolites
topic Microbial metabolites
prebiotics
postbiotics
cancer
CD8 T cells
cytotoxic lymphocytes
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/29933935.2025.2454002
work_keys_str_mv AT changhkim functionalregulationofcytotoxictcellsbygutmicrobialmetabolites