A significant advancement in cancer treatment has been recognized with the awarding of the 2025 Bial Award in Biomedicine, which comes with a prize of €350,000. The research highlights the crucial role of gut microbiota in enhancing the effectiveness of immunotherapy for cancer patients. This study, published in the journal Science, reveals how a diverse gut microbiome can improve treatment outcomes while antibiotics might hinder their effectiveness.
Study Overview and Findings
The award-winning research, titled “Gut microbiome influences efficacy of PD‐1–based immunotherapy against epithelial tumors,” was led by prominent French researchers Laurence Zitvogel and Guido Kroemer, both affiliated with Gustave Roussy and universities in Paris. An international consortium of 48 researchers from institutions in France, Sweden, and the United States collaborated on this groundbreaking work, which has already received over 5,800 citations since its publication in 2018.
The study establishes a direct connection between the gut microbiome and the efficacy of immunotherapy, a treatment that has transformed oncology by enabling the immune system to effectively target and destroy tumor cells. Despite its success, more than half of patients experience resistance to these therapies, leading to recurrence of cancer, a phenomenon that has remained poorly understood until now.
The findings indicate that the gut microbiome is integral to this resistance. The researchers demonstrated that modifications to gut bacteria can enhance patient responses to immunotherapy, ultimately improving survival rates. Importantly, they found that increased bacterial diversity correlates with favorable clinical outcomes in cancer patients.
Impact of Antibiotics on Treatment Efficacy
A critical aspect of the research focuses on the impact of antibiotics on gut microbiota. The study suggests that the use of these medications can diminish microbial diversity, which in turn negatively affects the success of immunotherapy. This insight underscores the importance of maintaining a healthy gut microbiome during cancer treatment.
Through comprehensive analysis, the researchers identified specific bacterial species that are consistently linked to better treatment responses. This discovery not only advances the understanding of immunotherapy but also opens potential avenues for enhancing treatment through microbiome modulation.
The Bial Foundation, which promotes this prestigious award, received 58 nominations from 18 countries for this edition. The nominated works encompassed various fields, including cancer, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders. Notably, previous recipients of the Bial Award have gone on to achieve significant recognition, such as Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman, who won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their contributions to mRNA vaccine development for COVID-19.
The recognition of this study emphasizes the growing importance of the gut microbiome in medical research and cancer treatment, paving the way for future studies and potential therapeutic strategies.
