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Published on: September 18, 2020
MiCK: a database of gut microbial genes linked with chemoresistance in cancer patients
Muhammad Shahzaib1, Muhammad Muaz2, Muhammad Hasnain Zubair1
1Metagenomics Discovery Lab, School of Interdisciplinary Engineering and Sciences (SINES), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.
Abstract:
Cancer remains a global health challenge, with significant morbidity and mortality rates. In 2020, cancer caused nearly 10 million deaths, making it the second leading cause of death worldwide. The emergence of chemoresistance has become a major hurdle in successfully treating cancer patients. Recently, human gut microbes have been recognized for their role in modulating drug efficacy through their metabolites, ultimately leading to chemoresistance. The currently available databases are limited to knowledge regarding the interactions between gut microbiome and drugs. However, a database containing the human gut microbial gene sequences, and their effect on the efficacy of chemotherapy for cancer patients has not yet been developed. To address this challenge, we present the Microbial Chemoresistance Knowledgebase (MiCK), a comprehensive database that catalogs microbial gene sequences associated with chemoresistance. MiCK contains 1.6 million sequences of 29 gene types linked to chemoresistance and drug metabolism, curated manually from recent literature and sequence databases. The database can support downstream analysis as it provides a user-friendly web interface for sequence search and download functionalities. MiCK aims to facilitate the understanding and mitigation of chemoresistance in cancers by serving as a valuable resource for researchers. Database URL: https://microbialchemreskb.com/.
Insights
Chemoresistance in cancer is worsened by gut microbes. The new Microbial Chemoresistance Knowledgebase (MiCK) database catalogs microbial genes impacting chemotherapy efficacy, aiding researchers in understanding and combating this challenge.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Microbiology
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- Cancer is a leading cause of death globally, with chemoresistance posing a significant treatment challenge.
- Human gut microbes and their metabolites are increasingly recognized for their role in modulating chemotherapy drug efficacy.
- Existing databases lack comprehensive information on gut microbial genes influencing cancer chemoresistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a centralized, comprehensive database cataloging human gut microbial gene sequences associated with chemoresistance.
- To provide a valuable resource for researchers investigating the link between the gut microbiome and cancer chemotherapy outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Manual curation of 1.6 million microbial gene sequences from scientific literature and existing databases.
- Identification and cataloging of 29 gene types implicated in chemoresistance and drug metabolism.
- Development of a user-friendly web interface for sequence searching and downloading.
Main Results:
- The Microbial Chemoresistance Knowledgebase (MiCK) database has been established, containing 1.6 million curated microbial gene sequences.
- MiCK includes 29 gene types known to be involved in chemoresistance and drug metabolism.
- The database offers functionalities for sequence searching and downloading to support research.
Conclusions:
- MiCK serves as a valuable resource for the scientific community, facilitating a deeper understanding of microbial contributions to chemoresistance.
- The database aims to support the development of strategies to mitigate chemoresistance in cancer patients.
- MiCK is accessible online at https://microbialchemreskb.com/.
