Reporter Peng Mengzhu/Translated
A major medical breakthrough may completely change the way early cancer screening is performed! Scientists at the University of Geneva, Switzerland (UNIGE) have created the first intestinal bacterial catalog at the level of bacterial subspecies, thus opening up a powerful new way to detect colorectal cancer and rectal cancer (CRC).
By applying machine learning technology to fecal samples, the research team achieved a cancer detection rate of up to 90%, almost comparable to colectoscopy, but it was cheaper and greatly reduced the discomfort of the subjects. The results, published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe, are expected to revolutionize early cancer screening and help detect early before the disease progresses.
Traditional colectoscopy is often delayed by new non-invasive tools
Table of Contents
- Traditional colectoscopy is often delayed by new non-invasive tools
- Focus on “subspecies” resolution precision prediction
- Accuracy is close to that of colectoscopy and is expected to become a routine screening tool
- Wide application prospects: In the future, a single analysis will diagnose multiple diseases
Colorectal cancer is the second largest cause of cancer death in the world. If it can be detected early, the treatment effect will be very significant, but the high cost and discomfort of the main diagnostic method “colonoscopy” often leads to delayed diagnosis.
Furthermore, the cause of the increase in young adult cases is unclear, which highlights the urgent need for simpler, non-invasive diagnostic tools.
Although the academic community has long known that intestinal microbiota plays an important role in the development of CRC, it has been challenging to translate these findings into clinical applications. This is because different strains of the same bacterial species may have completely opposite effects, some promote disease development, while others have no effect.
Focus on “subspecies” resolution precision prediction
“We did not rely on analyzing the species that make up the flora because that would not capture all meaningful differences; nor did we rely on strains because they vary too much from person to person,” explains Mirko Trajkovski, a professor at the UNIGE School of Medicine who led the study. “We focus on the intermediate level of the flora: subspecies.”
Professor Traikowski said that the subspecies resolution is specific and can capture differences in bacterial function and effects on diseases including cancer; it is also sufficiently universal to detect these changes among different groups, populations or countries.
With the efforts of bioinformatician Matija Trickovic, the research team developed the first comprehensive catalog of human gut microbiota subspecies and established a precise and effective method for research and clinical use.
Accuracy is close to that of colectoscopy and is expected to become a routine screening tool
Scientists combined this subspecies catalog of bacteria with existing clinical data to develop a model that can predict the presence of CRC based solely on bacteria in fecal samples. “Although we are confident in the strategy, the results are still shocking,” Dr. Trickwich said excitedly.
“Our detection method detects 90% of cancer cases, which is very close to the detection rate of 94% of colectoscopy and is better than all non-invasive detection methods at present.”
The researchers believe that by integrating more clinical data, the model can become more accurate, even comparable to the accuracy of colectoscopy. It is expected to become a conventional screening tool to promote early detection of CRC, when only a small number of high-risk patients screened out need further colectoscopy confirmation.
Wide application prospects: In the future, a single analysis will diagnose multiple diseases
The research team is working with the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG) to conduct the first clinical trial to more accurately determine the stages and lesions of cancer that can be detected.
However, this technology has a wide range of applications beyond colorectal cancer. “By studying the differences between different subspecies in the same bacterial species, researchers can now identify the specific mechanisms of action of gut microbiota that affect human health,” concluded Traikowski. “The same approach will soon be used to develop non-invasive diagnostic tools for a variety of diseases, based on a single-shot bacterial analysis.”
Source:ScienceDaily
