Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of highly prevalent cancer. Immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has dramatically changed the landscape of treatment for many advanced cancers, but CRC still exhibits suboptimal response to immunotherapy. The gut microbiota can affect both anti-tumor and pro-tumor immune responses, and further modulate the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy, particularly in the context of therapy with ICIs. Therefore, a deeper understanding of how the gut microbiota modulates immune responses is crucial to improve the outcomes of CRC patients receiving immunotherapy and to overcome resistance in nonresponders. The present review aims to describe the relationship between the gut microbiota, CRC, and antitumor immune responses, with a particular focus on key studies and recent findings on the effect of the gut microbiota on the antitumor immune activity. We also discuss the potential mechanisms by which the gut microbiota influences host antitumor immune responses as well as the prospective role of intestinal flora in CRC treatment. Furthermore, the therapeutic potential and limitations of different modulation strategies for the gut microbiota are also discussed. These insights may facilitate to better comprehend the interplay between the gut microbiota and the antitumor immune responses of CRC patients and provide new research pathways to enhance immunotherapy efficacy and expand the patient population that could be benefited by immunotherapy.

Background: Due to economic development and an increase in the aging population, the demand for medical resources is increasing. A good doctor-patient relationship (DPR) can optimize patients’ medical experience and improve treatment efficiency. The DPR, however, is currently in crisis in China. To explore ways to improve DPR, this study assessed the views on the status of the DPR, medical services, and the general situation of medical work among medical personnel (MP) and the general population (GP). Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted between December 2019 and March 2020, targeted the MP and the GP in Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, and Zhengzhou City, Henan Province. A total of 154 MP and 329 GP answered a self-administered questionnaire through Questionnaire Star and WeChat apps. Wilcoxon’s Sign Rank Test, Chi-square test, and frequency distributions and percentages were used to process the data. Results: Only 11.04% of the MP and 14.89% of the GP believed that the current DPR was harmonious. Moreover, 54.55% of the MP and 71.12% of the GP believed that the medical industry was a service industry. While 14.29% of the MP and 64.44% of the GP thought medical staff earned high salaries, 19.48% of the MP and 47.11% of the GP wanted their children to be in the medical industry. The recognition of the current status of the DPR did not affect the GP’s preference for their children’s practice (p < 0.05). Most MPs hoped to improve salaries (40.26%), followed by safety (17.53%) and social status (12.99%); only 8.44% of the MP wanted to improve the DPR. Conclusion: The MP’s and GP’s views on the current status of DPR, the importance of medical service attitudes, and the general sense of the medical industry were similar. However, there was a significant difference in the perception of the nature of medical services and the income of the people employed in the medical industry between the two groups. Balancing the expectations of patients in the medical industry and increasing public awareness of the actual situation in the medical industry may be a feasible way to improve the DPR.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) exhibits a substantial morbidity and mortality rate, with its aetiology and pathogenesis remain elusive. It holds significant importance within the tumour microenvironment (TME) and exerts a crucial regulatory influence on tumorigenesis, progression, and metastasis. TAMs possess the capability to foster CRC pathogenesis, proliferation, invasion, and metastasis, as well as angiogenesis, immune evasion, and tumour resistance. Furthermore, TAMs can mediate the prognosis of CRC. In this paper, we review the mechanisms by which natural compounds target TAMs to exert anti-CRC effects from the perspective of the promotional effects of TAMs on CRC, mainly regulating the polarization of TAMs, reducing the infiltration and recruitment of TAMs, enhancing the phagocytosis of macrophages, and regulating the signalling pathways and cytokines, and discuss the potential value and therapeutic strategies of natural compounds-targeting the TAMs pathway in CRC clinical treatment.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of thes most prevalent malignant tumors worldwide. Current therapeutic strategies for CRC have limitations, while nanomaterials show significant potential for diagnosing and treating CRC. This study utilizes bibliometric analysis to evaluate the current status and trends in this field.Methods: Research on nanomaterials in CRC from 2003 to 2024 was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC). Tools such as CiteSpace, VOSviewer, RStudio, GraphPad Prism, and Excel were used to analyze trends and hotspots, covering publication trends, countries, institutions, authors, journals, co-citation analysis, and keywords. Visual maps were created to forecast future developments.Results: The analysis includes 3,683 publications by 17,261 authors from 3,721 institutions across 100 countries/regions, published in 840 journals. Global publications have steadily increased, particularly since 2018. China leads in publication volume and citations, with six of the top ten research institutions and seven of the ten most cited authors, while the United States excels in citation impact and academic centrality. Both countries currently dominate the field, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced international collaboration. Ramezani M and Abnous K lead in publication volume and H-index, while Siegel RL is highly cited. The International Journal of Nanomedicine has the highest publication volume, while the Journal of Controlled Release is the most cited. In addition to “colorectal cancer” and “nanoparticles,” the most common keyword is “drug delivery.” Emerging research areas such as “metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)” and “green synthesis” are gaining attention as leading hotspots.Conclusion: This study offers an in-depth analysis of the application of nanomaterials in CRC, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and advancing scientific progress in this field.