Host–Pathogen Crosstalk in Cancer: A review of Multi-Omics and Computational Insights into Tumor Microenvironment

The tumor microenvironment is a complex environment with interdependence on the relationship between host cells and pathogenic microorganism. This relationship either suppress or promote tumor progression. Pathogens such as H.pylori, F. nucleatum Epstein-Barr virus, Human Papilloma virus and Candida albicans contribute to tumorigenesis through diverse means such as immune checkpoint evasion, genomic instability, reactive oxygen species, viral integration and metabolic reprogramming that favors immunosuppression.Multiomics technologies are relevant in revealing unique host-pathogen signatures that correlate tumor type, tumor staging and therapy response. Artificial intelligence and machine learning models have enabled the integration of genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic and microbiome data to identify pathogen-driven molecular patterns associated with cancer and treatment outcomes. However, translating these findings into clinical practice faces challenges, such as inter-patient variability in microbial composition, the need for external validation across diverse cohorts and the development of standardized cost-effective diagnostic platforms. This narrative review synthesizes current knowledge on the transformative potential of computational frameworks that are available to study these interactions between microbes in the tumor microenvironment and outlines future directions. By bridging the molecular mechanisms with computational innovation, this review provides a roadmap for leveraging hos-pathogen interactions to improve cancer diagnosis, treatment options and patient outcomes.