COLUMBUS, Ohio – Chemotherapy is known to cause behavioral side effects, including cognitive decline. Notably, the gut microbiome communicates with the brain to affect behavior, including cognition.
This clinical longitudinal observational study explored whether chemotherapy-induced disruption of the gut microbiome relates to cognitive decline and circulating inflammatory signals.
Fecal samples, blood and cognitive measures were collected from 77 patients with breast cancer before, during and after chemotherapy.
- Chemotherapy induces microbiome disruption and inflammation.
- The resulting microbiome disruption relates to cognitive decline and inflammation.
- Those cognitively impaired have unique chemotherapy-induced microbiome alterations.
This research builds on Pyter’s prior research in mouse models that found chemotherapy-induced shifts in the gut microbiome cause neurobiological changes and behavioral side effects.
The current study indicates that an association between gut microbiome and cognitive performance exists in humans as well.
“Side effects of chemotherapy are common and may reduce quality of life, but these side effects can be dismissed as ‘part of chemotherapy’ and therefore overlooked and under-treated,” Pyter said. “We believe that gut microbiome-focused interventions, such as fecal microbial transplantation, may improve behavioral side effects of chemotherapy.”
OSUCCC—James researchers are also conducting research studies on how the gut microbiome impacts cancer treatment effectiveness and its role in reducing or increasing cancer risk.
Ohio State researchers collaborated with The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital for this study.
This study was supported in part by a National Institutes of Health grant and Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.
Conflict of interest disclosure
Researcher Michael T. Bailey is a scientific cofounder and stock owner of Scioto Biosciences.