Microbial and Metabolomic Variations Correlated With Gastric Cancer Subtypes and Prognosis

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Metabolomics
• Oncology

Background:

• Gastric cancer (GC) is a major health concern in China.
• GC subtypes, like Lauren and ZJU classifications, display unique characteristics.
• The interplay between gut microbiota, metabolites, and tumor progression is increasingly recognized, but subtype-specific differences remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate microbial and metabolite disparities in gastric cancer (GC) subtypes.
• To explore the association between these microbial and metabolic differences and GC prognosis.
• To compare the Lauren and ZJU classification systems for GC.

Main Methods:

• 16S rRNA gene sequencing for microbial community analysis.
• Untargeted metabolomic profiling of tumor tissues and matched normal controls.
• Multivariate survival analysis to assess prognostic significance.

Main Results:

• Significant variations in microbial composition and metabolite profiles were observed across GC subtypes.
• Both Lauren and ZJU classifications shared differential microbiota (e.g., Fusobacterium, Haemophilus) and metabolites.
• The ZJU classification uniquely featured Eubacterium_ventriosum_group (poor prognosis) and N6-Succinyl Adenosine (favorable prognosis).

Conclusions:

• Distinct microbial and metabolic signatures characterize different gastric cancer subtypes.
• The ZJU classification appears more closely related to prognosis due to specific microbial and metabolite associations.
• Eubacterium_ventriosum_group and N6-Succinyl Adenosine serve as potential prognostic biomarkers for GC.