Researchers from the CNIO and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory have identified a genetic signature of 27 microorganisms in faeces that defines the population at high risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most frequent pancreatic cancer, and that would serve for early detection of the disease.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal types of cancer. Some of the reasons for this high case fatality rate are late diagnosis and limited therapeutic options.

Researchers from the National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), led by Núria Malats, and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), have found a molecular signature of 27 microorganisms in stool samples that could predict those patients at high risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and even diagnose those with earlier stages. The study has just been published in the journal Gut.

The researchers have requested a patent on these results to develop a diagnostic kit for pancreatic cancer that detects these microbial genomes in stool samples quickly, non-invasively and cheaply. 

According to their study, the faecal microbiome is mostly associated with pancreatic cancer. Authors have identified 27 microbes from faeces which discriminate very well cases with pancreatic cancer, both in its most advanced and in the earliest phases”. This genetic signature has been validated in an independent study carried out in two hospitals in Germany and 5,792 faecal metagenomes from 25 studies in 18 countries.

This work is in line with the research carried out by Dr Pilar Acedo Nuñez and Andrés García Sampedro at University College London on the identification of biological markers that can help in the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Source: SINC