Biotransformation of anticancer drugs by human and environmental microbiomes

Many anticancer drugs have toxic effects on microbes in addition to human cells. It is therefore not surprising that many microbes have intrinsic resistance mechanisms that can be deployed to counteract anticancer drug toxicity. This is especially apparent for anticancer agents that are synthesized by soil microbes themselves. We have embarked on an effort to explore the resistomes of anticancer agents in the microbiomes of the human gut and in the environment. We have identified many microbes that can detoxify these anticancer drugs via degradation mechanisms. Understanding the molecular basis of these resistance mechanisms is of value in managing drug concentrations during therapy and possibly in avoiding toxicity and in bioremediation.