Gut microbiota alterations and their association with tumorigenic pathways in colorectal cancer: insights from a pooled analysis of 109 microbiome datasetsOriginal paper
Karen Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease, four years before the first published case study.
Read MoreWhat was studied?
Researchers examined gut microbiota differences between colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and healthy controls, and how these differences relate to host inflammatory gene pathways.
How was it studied?
The team analyzed 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing data from faecal samples of 46 CRC patients and 63 healthy controls (dataset PRJEB7774), using LEfSe and Random Forest models to identify biomarker taxa. Host-microbe interactions were explored via the MIAOME and GIMICA databases, with key genes cross-checked against GEPIA and TCGA data.
What did they find?
CRC samples had significantly reduced alpha diversity and distinct beta diversity compared to controls. Prevotella copri, Methanobrevibacter smithii, Bacteroides eggerthii, and Dialister invisus were enriched, while Bifidobacterium animalis and Ruminococcus species were depleted. Microbial biomarkers correlated with overexpression of inflammation-related genes CD44, CXCL8, DUSP16, FOXP3, IFNGR2, and IL18, linked to NF-κB, TLR, and cytokine signalling pathways.
Why it matters
The findings describe a distinct CRC-associated gut microbiota signature tied to host inflammatory pathways, suggesting microbiota-based interventions and microbial metabolites could serve as adjunctive strategies in CRC management.