Current Trends and Challenges of Microbiome Research in Prostate Cancer

Purpose of review: The role of the gut microbiome in prostate cancer is an emerging area of research interest. However, no single causative organism has yet been identified. The goal of this paper is to examine the role of the microbiome in prostate cancer and summarize the challenges relating to methodology in specimen collection, sequencing technology, and interpretation of results.

Recent findings: Significant heterogeneity still exists in methodology for stool sampling/storage, preservative options, DNA extraction, and sequencing database selection/in silico processing. Debate persists over primer choice in amplicon sequencing as well as optimal methods for data normalization. Statistical methods for longitudinal microbiome analysis continue to undergo refinement. While standardization of methodology may help yield more consistent results for organism identification in prostate cancer, this is a difficult task due to considerable procedural variation at each step in the process. Further reproducibility and methodology research is required.