State of omics-based microbial diagnostics of CRC

Area of Science:

• Microbiome research
• Cancer diagnostics
• Metabolomics

Background:

• Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a significant global health burden, often diagnosed at advanced stages.
• Early detection is crucial for improving CRC patient outcomes and reducing mortality.
• The gut microbiome composition changes in individuals with CRC, offering potential diagnostic avenues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review bacterial taxa and metabolites investigated as predictive features for CRC diagnosis.
• To highlight progress in identifying gut microbiome-based biomarkers for CRC.
• To discuss challenges hindering the development of microbial diagnostics for CRC.

Main Methods:

• Narrative review of existing literature.
• Analysis of studies investigating bacterial taxa associated with CRC.
• Examination of research on gut metabolites as CRC biomarkers.

Main Results:

• Significant shifts in gut bacterial taxa are observed in CRC patients.
• Specific microbial metabolites are linked to the presence of CRC.
• Advances in sequencing and metabolomics facilitate the identification of these biomarkers.

Conclusions:

• Gut microbiome alterations present a promising avenue for novel CRC diagnostics.
• Further research is needed to address challenges like patient lifestyle and methodological variations.
• Standardizing study designs and data management is key to developing reliable microbial diagnostics for CRC.