Pancreatic cancer is a relatively rare cancer, but survival rates are extremely low. In the UK, it is estimated that only a quarter of people survive more than a year after diagnosis. One of the key factors is the insidiousness of pancreatic cancer, which is diagnosed late and usually does not appear until the cancer is advanced.
Recently, researchers in Spain have found genetic signatures of 27 microorganisms in stool samples, which can be used to identify specific high-risk groups of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (the most common pancreatic cancer), or can be used for early detection of pancreatic cancer, a study partially funded by the British charitable organization Global Cancer Research Agency.
Schematic diagram of progression of normal pancreas, pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer and light microscopy images| references[1]
To date, researchers at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), led by Professor Núria Malats, and the European Laboratory for Molecular Biology (EMBL) in Heidelberg, led by Professor Núria Malats, have discovered the molecular signatures of 27 microbes in stool samples that can predict whether patients are more likely to develop pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and can even be used in the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
The research group has filed a patent to develop a pancreatic oncogene diagnostic kit that enables rapid, injury-free, and low-cost detection of microbial genomes in stool samples. The results of this study were published in the journal Gastrointestinal on March 8, 2022.
Professors Malats and Bork add: "Complex biostatistical and bioinformatic analysis allowed us to construct microbial signatures of 27 fecal sources, most of which are bacteria. Whether in the advanced or early stages of cancer, they are able to distinguish between cases in the pancreatic cancer group and the control group. ”
The high predictive value of fecal microbial genetic signatures could be used as a biomarker to screen high-risk populations, and if this test can be validated in future clinical trials, it is expected to be used in the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in the future.
References for predicting microbial characteristics of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma|[2]
Professor Helen Rippon, Director of the Global Cancer Research Centre, said: "This new breakthrough lies in the growing body of evidence that microbes that coexist with human cells in our bodies are inextricably linked to the occurrence of cancer. "The astonishing thing about this finding is that the microbiome in a patient's stool sample can be used to help diagnose pancreatic cancer early. Early detection and early diagnosis of cancer is just as important as the development of entirely new treatments.
"Survival rates for pancreatic cancer have barely improved over the past few decades. Because it cannot be diagnosed until the cancer is advanced, when it has spread to other organs of the body, people's choice of treatment options is very limited. This study provides an effective, injury-free way to diagnose pancreatic cancer early. ”
Currently, screening targets are mainly focused on families with a history of pancreatic cancer, accounting for only 10% of the total pancreatic cancer. The researchers say adding stool analysis to these screening programs to identify identifiable microbial signatures could help detect other high-risk populations.
In this brand new study, the researchers conducted a unique case-control study that conducted an in-depth study of 136 patients (57 pancreatic cancer patients, 50 control groups, 27 patients with chronic pancreatitis) at the epidemiological and clinical level, and sampled and analyzed their microbiomes from their saliva, feces, and pancreatic tissues. The participants were from Ramón M. Ramon y Cajal Hospital and Vall Herbron Hospital in Barcelona.
bibliography
[1] Sophie Liot, Jonathan Balas, Alexandre Aubert et al., Stroma Involvement in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: An Overview Focusing on Extracellular Matrix Proteins. Front. Immunol., 06 April 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.612271
[2] Kartal E, Schmidt TSB, Molina-Montes E, et al. A faecal microbiota signature with high specificity for pancreatic cancer. Gut Published Online First: 08 March 2022.
DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2021-324755
Compilation: Four seven
Edit: Crispy fish
Typography: Yin Ningliu
Image source: Pixabay
Research team
First author Ece Kartal: PhD, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, University of Heidelberg
Corresponding author Peer Bork: Professor, German bioinformatician, director of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory at the University of Heidelberg, member of the editorial review committee of the journal Science
Thesis information
Published the journal Gut
Published March 8, 2022
论文标题A faecal microbiota signature with high specificity for pancreatic cancer
(DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2021-324755 )
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