Cao TL, Jiang HZ. Gastrointestinal microbiota in treatment of gastric precancerous lesions and gastric cancer by Western and traditional Chinese medicine. World J Clin Oncol 2025; 16(8): 107660 [DOI: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i8.107660]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Hui-Zhong Jiang, PhD, Department of Gastroenterology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11 North Third Ring Road East, Beijing 100700, China. jianghz93@126.com
Research Domain of This Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Article-Type of This Article
Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Oncol. Aug 24, 2025; 16(8): 107660 Published online Aug 24, 2025. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i8.107660
Gastrointestinal microbiota in treatment of gastric precancerous lesions and gastric cancer by Western and traditional Chinese medicine
Ting-Lan Cao, Hui-Zhong Jiang
Ting-Lan Cao, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
Hui-Zhong Jiang, Department of Gastroenterology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100700, China
Author contributions: Cao TL was responsible for drafting and writing the manuscript; Jiang HZ provided guidance and oversaw the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Hui-Zhong Jiang, PhD, Department of Gastroenterology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11 North Third Ring Road East, Beijing 100700, China. jianghz93@126.com
Received: March 28, 2025 Revised: April 26, 2025 Accepted: June 23, 2025 Published online: August 24, 2025 Processing time: 146 Days and 3.3 Hours
Abstract
Gastric precancerous lesions (GPL) represent a crucial stage in the complex process of gastric carcinogenesis that leads to gastric cancer (GC), one of the most prevalent cancers and a major source of cancer mortality worldwide. Many studies have identified the gastrointestinal microbiota, or gut microbiota, as an important contributor to both the pathogenesis and treatment of GPL and GC, thus understanding its role in this transition is crucial. The purpose of this literature review is to introduce the current landscape of microbiota research associated with GPL and GC, with an emphasis on Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) driven microbial dysbiosis and its modulation through Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) approaches. By elucidating the underlying mechanisms of H. pylori colonization, patterns, and interactions among microbiota, as well as the influence of microbial metabolites, this review highlights crucial driving factors of gastric carcinogenesis. The role of microbiota in conventional interventions, including H. pylori eradication, immunotherapy, as well as TCM herbal decoctions, is also discussed to provide a detailed understanding of the complex interactions between therapy and microbiota and how it could be potentially targeted for effective management of GPL and GC. Ultimately, microbiota-targeting therapeutics may represent a new path toward early detection, targeted treatment, improved prognosis, and potentially reduced incidence of GPL and GC.
Core Tip: The development of gastric precancerous lesions (GPL) and gastric cancer (GC) is often driven by Helicobacter pylori infection and is closely linked to changes in the gastrointestinal microbiota. Both Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine offer therapeutic approaches that modulate the microbiota through various mechanisms, thereby influencing gastric carcinogenesis and treatment outcomes. Consequently, targeting the microbiota represents an encouraging approach for improving the diagnosis, treatment, and overall management of GPL and GC.
