Risk of Colorectal Cancer Linked to Composition of the Gut Microbiome
|
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 17 Dec 2013 |
|
The composition of the community of bacteria living in the digestive tract has been linked to the risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC).
Colorectal cancer is diagnosed in about 143,000 Americans annually with nearly 51,000 fatalities, making it second only to lung cancer in the number of deaths caused each year. However, it is not well understood why colorectal cancer develops.
Investigators at the New York University School of Medicine (NY, USA) tested the hypothesis that an altered community of gut microbes was associated with risk of developing CRC. To this end, they compared the DNA composition of intestinal microbes in the stool samples of 47 CRC patients and 94 healthy volunteers.
16S rRNA genes in fecal bacterial DNA were amplified by universal primers, sequenced by Roche (Basel, Switzerland) 454 FLX technology, and aligned for taxonomic classification to microbial genomes using the QIIME protocol.
QIIME, which stands for Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology, is an open source software package for comparison and analysis of microbial communities, primarily based on high-throughput amplicon sequencing data generated on a variety of platforms, but also supporting analysis of other types of data. QIIME chaperones users from their raw sequencing output through initial analyses such as OTU (operational taxonomic unit) picking, taxonomic assignment, and construction of phylogenetic trees from representative sequences of OTUs, and through downstream statistical analysis, visualization, and production of publication-quality graphics. QIIME has been applied to studies based on billions of sequences from thousands of samples.
Taxonomic differences identified in this study were confirmed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and adjusted for false discovery rate. Data from 794,217 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that CRC case subjects had decreased overall microbial community diversity. In taxonomy-based analyses, lower relative abundance of Clostridia and increased carriage of Fusobacterium and Porphyromonas were found in case subjects compared with control subjects. Clostridia include some bacterial family members that ferment dietary fiber to butyrate, which is a major colonic metabolite that may inhibit inflammation and carcinogenesis in the colon, while Fusobacterium and Porphyromonas are related to inflammation in the mouth and gastrointestinal track.
"Our findings are important because identification of these microbes may open the door for colorectal cancer prevention and treatment," said first author Dr. Jiyoung Ahn, assistant professor of population health at the New York University School of Medicine. "Our next step is to study how diet and lifestyle factors modulate these gut bacteria associated with colorectal cancer. This may lead to ways to prevent this disease."
The paper was published in the December 6, 2013, online edition of the Journal of the [US] National Cancer Institute.
Related Links:
New York University School of Medicine
Roche
QIIME
Colorectal cancer is diagnosed in about 143,000 Americans annually with nearly 51,000 fatalities, making it second only to lung cancer in the number of deaths caused each year. However, it is not well understood why colorectal cancer develops.
Investigators at the New York University School of Medicine (NY, USA) tested the hypothesis that an altered community of gut microbes was associated with risk of developing CRC. To this end, they compared the DNA composition of intestinal microbes in the stool samples of 47 CRC patients and 94 healthy volunteers.
16S rRNA genes in fecal bacterial DNA were amplified by universal primers, sequenced by Roche (Basel, Switzerland) 454 FLX technology, and aligned for taxonomic classification to microbial genomes using the QIIME protocol.
QIIME, which stands for Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology, is an open source software package for comparison and analysis of microbial communities, primarily based on high-throughput amplicon sequencing data generated on a variety of platforms, but also supporting analysis of other types of data. QIIME chaperones users from their raw sequencing output through initial analyses such as OTU (operational taxonomic unit) picking, taxonomic assignment, and construction of phylogenetic trees from representative sequences of OTUs, and through downstream statistical analysis, visualization, and production of publication-quality graphics. QIIME has been applied to studies based on billions of sequences from thousands of samples.
Taxonomic differences identified in this study were confirmed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and adjusted for false discovery rate. Data from 794,217 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that CRC case subjects had decreased overall microbial community diversity. In taxonomy-based analyses, lower relative abundance of Clostridia and increased carriage of Fusobacterium and Porphyromonas were found in case subjects compared with control subjects. Clostridia include some bacterial family members that ferment dietary fiber to butyrate, which is a major colonic metabolite that may inhibit inflammation and carcinogenesis in the colon, while Fusobacterium and Porphyromonas are related to inflammation in the mouth and gastrointestinal track.
"Our findings are important because identification of these microbes may open the door for colorectal cancer prevention and treatment," said first author Dr. Jiyoung Ahn, assistant professor of population health at the New York University School of Medicine. "Our next step is to study how diet and lifestyle factors modulate these gut bacteria associated with colorectal cancer. This may lead to ways to prevent this disease."
The paper was published in the December 6, 2013, online edition of the Journal of the [US] National Cancer Institute.
Related Links:
New York University School of Medicine
Roche
QIIME
New
Gold Member
Pre- Eclampsia Control
Acusera Pre-Eclampsia Control
Food Allergy Screening ELISA Kit
Allerquant 14G B ELISA
Benchtop Thermomixer
Biometra TS1 ThermoShaker
Latest Molecular Diagnostics News
- Epigenetic Profiling Could Refine Prognosis in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
- Genetic Risk Score Supports Diagnosis and Prognosis in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
- AI Reveals Immune Response Biomarkers Linked to Ebola Survival
- Extracellular Vesicle Marker Identifies Early Lung Adenocarcinoma and Predicts Recurrence
- WHO Adds First Bundibugyo Ebola Molecular Test to Emergency Use Listing
- Blood Test Helps Guide Post-Surgical Treatment in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
- Study Supports Earlier Genetic Testing for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer
- Noninvasive Biomarkers Advance Colorectal Cancer Risk Assessment
- Rapid Brush Biopsy Test Detects Oral Cancer in One Hour
- AI-Driven Blood Test Enhances Early Detection of Multiple Cancers
- Interpretable AI Tool Improves Prediction of Immunotherapy Response
- Blood Test Using Circular RNA Biomarkers Predicts Alzheimer’s Progression
- At-Home PCR Test Detects Flu and COVID-19 in 30 Minutes
- New Sequencing Platform Delivers Same-Day Whole-Genome Results
- Blood-Based RNA Biomarker Improves Prediction of Alzheimer’s Onset
- New Molecular Marker Helps Predict Multiple Myeloma Prognosis
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
Blood Hormone Pattern Distinguishes Endometriosis with High Accuracy
Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the womb, triggering inflammation, pain, and scarring. Diagnosis often relies on surgery and, in the UK, takes an average of... Read more
Blood Test Brings Alzheimer’s Biomarker Assessment to Routine Labs
Beckman Coulter Diagnostics has received CE Mark under IVDR for the Access p‑Tau217 assay, a blood test designed to support clinical evaluation of amyloid pathology in patients with signs and symptoms... Read more
Hematology
view channel
New Biomarkers Predict Resistance to Targeted Therapy in Rare Blood Cancer
Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare and aggressive leukemia with limited treatment options and a poor prognosis. Although tagraxofusp is the first approved targeted therapy for... Read more
AI Decision Support System Guides Treatment Selection for Complex Blood Cancers
Treatment selection for hematologic malignancies often requires clinicians to synthesize clinical histories, genomic alterations, prior therapies, and rapidly evolving drug options. These complex decisions... Read more
Immunology
view channel
Diagnostic Models Detect Hidden Eye Abnormalities After Mild COVID-19
Persistent ocular symptoms after COVID-19 can severely affect reading, work, and daily tasks, yet standard eye exams often reveal no clear abnormalities. Patients experiencing photophobia, eye pain, and... Read more
Anti-Lipid Antibody Biomarkers May Identify Early Lyme Disease and Persistent Symptoms
Lyme disease is often missed during its earliest and most treatable stage, while current serologic assays cannot distinguish active infection from prior exposure. Nearly half a million Americans are diagnosed... Read more
Emergency Department Opt-Out Testing Program Identifies Undiagnosed HIV
Undiagnosed HIV continues to drive avoidable morbidity and transmission, with many people identified only after substantial immune damage has occurred. In England, about one in 20 people living with HIV... Read more
Immune Biomarkers Could Identify Risk of Chronic Critical Illness on ICU Admission
Severe traumatic injury can trigger immune and organ dysfunction that complicates recovery in the intensive care unit. A subset of patients develop chronic critical illness, defined as dependence on intensive... Read moreMicrobiology
view channel
CE-Marked Blood Assay Automates Tuberculosis Infection Testing
Tuberculosis continues to pose a major global health challenge, with an estimated 10.7 million people falling ill and 1.23 million deaths in 2024. Roughly one quarter of the world’s population is believed... Read more
Genomic Surveillance Algorithm Improves Early Detection of Emerging Variants
Genomic surveillance is essential for detecting viral variants before they spread widely, yet many public health systems face high costs, uneven capacity, and computational barriers. Existing analytic... Read more
Rapid Gastrointestinal PCR Panels Deliver One-Hour Results
Acute infectious gastroenteritis remains a major cause of illness worldwide, especially in young children, older adults, and immunocompromised patients. Nonspecific symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting,... Read more
H. pylori Screening Within Colorectal Program Aids Gastric Cancer Prevention
Health systems increasingly rely on economic evidence to guide cancer prevention strategies. For gastric cancer, selecting screening approaches that can integrate with existing programs is a key policy question.... Read morePathology
view channel
New AI Test Delivers Rapid Breast Cancer Recurrence Predictions
Recurrent breast cancer remains a persistent driver of morbidity and retreatment, and current risk stratification often depends on genomic assays that are costly and slow. Waiting weeks for results can... Read more
EBV Status Helps Predict Survival in Primary CNS Lymphoma
Primary central nervous system lymphoma is a rare malignancy in which tumors arise in the brain and, less often, the spinal cord, eyes, or cerebrospinal fluid. Outcomes are especially variable when the... Read more
Technology
view channel
Training Device Improves Accuracy of Pooled Molecular Diagnostics
High-throughput molecular diagnostics have transformed infectious disease detection, but many workflows remain difficult to execute accurately without extensive training. Sample pooling can cut per‑test... Read more
New CE-Certified Software Advances Whole-Genome Cancer Testing
European hospitals are increasingly using comprehensive tumor genomics to guide therapy, but routine whole genome sequencing (WGS) requires validated, regulation-compliant workflows. A newly CE-certified... Read more
National Rare Disease Registry Standardizes Genetic and Clinical Data for Coordinated Care
Rare diseases collectively impose a significant clinical burden despite their individual rarity, often involving multisystem presentations and prolonged diagnostic journeys. Limited specialist expertise... Read more
Industry
view channel
Natera’s Signatera Earns IVDR Certification for Solid Tumor MRD Testing
Natera’s Signatera has received certification as a Class C device under the European Union’s In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR), becoming the first personalized MRD test for solid tumors to achieve... Read more
Eurobio Scientific Completes Acquisition of CareDx Lab Products Division
Eurobio Scientific has closed the acquisition of CareDx AB in Sweden and its fully owned subsidiaries in the United States and Australia that constitute CareDx’s Lab Products division. The business will... Read more
Blood-Based CRISPR Test for Tuberculosis Gains Regulatory Approval in Colombia
Colombia remains a high-priority setting for tuberculosis, with a growing need for diagnostics that complement existing testing strategies and improve access to earlier diagnosis. Solutions that function... Read more
