The bacteria in your gut could help determine if a cancer therapy will work

Why does cancer immunotherapy work for some patients, but not others?

Gut biodiversity could play a decisive role, two new studies in Science suggest. A lush microbiome populated with “good bacteria” can boost the power of the treatments, one paper found. On the other hand, certain immunotherapies were less effective in patients who were taking antibiotics that depleted the gut of important flora, according to the second study.

The new studies, published Thursday, add to a growing body of research suggesting that the composition of gut bacteria can fairly