TITLE:
Research Progress on the Relationship between Radiation Enteritis and the Gut Microbiota
AUTHORS:
Yixuan Wang, Yusheng Shi
KEYWORDS:
Radiation Enteritis, Gut Microbiota, Dysbiosis, Probiotics, Fecal Microbiota Transplantation
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.14 No.8,
August
31,
2026
ABSTRACT: Radiotherapy remains a cornerstone treatment for pelvic and abdominal malignancies; however, radiation-induced intestinal injury, known as Radiation Enteritis (RE), represents a major complication that negatively affects patients’ quality of life. Emerging evidence indicates that gut microbiota dysbiosis plays a critical role in promoting the initiation and progression of RE. Recent biomedical research demonstrates that gut microbiota dysbiosis is an active, critical driver that promotes and amplifies the pathogenesis, severity, and chronicity of RE. This comprehensive review synthesizes the contemporary global scientific literature to delineate the multifaceted roles, molecular mechanisms, and therapeutic potentials of the gut microbiota in the occurrence and progression of RE.