The oral cavity harbours more than 700 species of different microorganisms. Current evidence indicates a key role of the oral microbial community in overall human health. It also has been implicated in the pathogenesis of oral and systemic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. Furthermore, growing evidence demonstrates a correlation between the oral microbiota and the development, progression, treatment outcomes, and treatment-related toxicities in different types of cancers. Yet important questions remain underexplored. For example, can oral environmental factors (e.g., poor oral health and tobacco consumption) alter the oral microbial community or enhance the virulence of certain pathobionts leading to increased cancer risk? Is oral microbe translocation a cause or a consequence of non-oral cancers? How do oral microbes contribute to tumorigenesis in oral and non-oral cancers? How do oncological therapies perturb the oral microbial community homeostasis and what are the key microbial species that should be targeted to improve and guide cancer treatment?

The advent of omics technologies has enhanced our understanding of uncultured species, intra-kingdom interactions, and precise microbial characterisation. As such the oral microbiota offer a promising target for cancer prevention and improving the clinical outcomes of current cancer therapies.

The aim of this Research Topic is to compile reliable evidence on the 3 major aspects of translational microbiome-oncology research:

• Development: What are the mechanisms by which oral microbiome (virus, bacteria, and fungi) contribute to oral cancer development? For non-oral cancer, how does the oral microbe translocate and contribute to carcinogenesis in distant sites (e.g., colorectal cancer)?

• Treatment: Once a patient is diagnosed with cancer, how oral microbial heterogeneity can be used to predict cancer outcomes and toxicities? Following the exposure to anti-antineoplastic agents, what is the impact of treatment on the oral microbial community?

• Microbial therapies: What are the potential microbial-based therapeutics and interventions that can be used to sustain oral health during cancer treatment, decrease the risk of biofilm-dependent disease and maximise the quality of life during cancer treatment?

In this Research Topic, we welcome and encourage researchers to submit original research articles, reviews, mini-reviews, and perspectives papers on the oral microbiome profiling in cancer patients, evidence of detection and implications of oral microbes in oral and non-oral cancers, findings on how oral microbes contribute to tumorigenesis and how oral microbiota can be targeted and manipulated to prevent cancer development, improve cancer treatment effectiveness or lower cancer treatment-related toxicities.

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Frontiers in Oral Health

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