The complex immunological role of Helicobacter in modulating cancer.

The gut microbiota has recently emerged as a unique mechanism of immunotherapeutic resistance or response within certain cancer patients. Certain adherent bacterial species that reside along the epithelial barrier within the gastrointestinal tract have been shown to be the most immunogenic and include several species within the Helicobacteraceae family. The role of these microbes in cancer remains controversial and varies according to species, immune status, and cancer type. Here, we hypothesize that the functional characteristics rather than the bacterial species of Helicobacteraceae dictate the type of immune response with either a benefit or a detriment to overall cancer progression.