在全球范围内，最流行的癌症之一是结直肠癌（CRC）。化疗和手术是两种常见的结直肠癌传统疗法，通常无效且具有严重的副作用。因此，需要补充和不同的治疗方法。利用微生物代谢物引发表观遗传改变作为预防结直肠癌的一种方法是一个新兴的研究领域。被称为微生物代谢物的小化学物质是由微生物产生的，能够改变宿主细胞的行为。最近的研究表明，这些代谢物可以导致表观遗传修饰，例如组蛋白修饰、DNA 甲基化和非编码 RNA 调节，从而控制基因表达并影响细胞行为。这篇综述重点介绍了当前关于癌症治疗的表观遗传修饰、微生物代谢物的免疫调节和抗癌特性、肠道表观遗传靶向系统以及膳食纤维和肠道微生物群在癌症治疗中的作用的知识。它还关注短链脂肪酸，特别是丁酸盐（由微生物产生）及其癌症治疗前景、挑战和局限性，以及微生物代谢物诱导的表观遗传变化的最新研究结直肠癌抑制。总之，目前的工作强调了微生物代谢物诱导的表观遗传修饰作为抑制 CRC 的新型治疗策略的潜力，并指导了该动态领域的未来研究方向。版权所有 © Bentham Science Publishers；如有任何疑问，请发送电子邮件至 epub@benthamscience.net。

Globally, one of the most prevalent cancers is colorectal cancer (CRC). Chemotherapy and surgery are two common conventional CRC therapies that are frequently ineffective and have serious adverse effects. Thus, there is a need for complementary and different therapeutic approaches. The use of microbial metabolites to trigger epigenetic alterations as a way of preventing CRC is one newly emerging field of inquiry. Small chemicals called microbial metabolites, which are made by microbes and capable of altering host cell behaviour, are created. Recent research has demonstrated that these metabolites can lead to epigenetic modifications such as histone modifications, DNA methylation, and non-coding RNA regulation, which can control gene expression and affect cellular behaviour. This review highlights the current knowledge on the epigenetic modification for cancer treatment, immunomodulatory and anti-carcinogenic attributes of microbial metabolites, gut epigenetic targeting system, and the role of dietary fibre and gut microbiota in cancer treatment. It also focuses on short-chain fatty acids, especially butyrates (which are generated by microbes), and their cancer treatment perspective, challenges, and limitations, as well as state-of-the-art research on microbial metabolites-induced epigenetic changes for CRC inhibition. In conclusion, the present work highlights the potential of microbial metabolites-induced epigenetic modifications as a novel therapeutic strategy for CRC suppression and guides future research directions in this dynamic field.Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.