MICROBIOTA signatures associated with KRAS have been identified in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), according to recent research. Mutations in the KRAS gene are found in roughly 40% of people diagnosed with CRC, and have been previously linked to more aggressive forms of the disease, as well as shorter survival. Growth of CRC tumours has also been associated with the gut microbiome; however, little research has been done into the relationship between the gut and KRAS mutations.
Oncologist Weizhong Tang, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China, and team, analysed the stool samples of 94 individuals who had been diagnosed with CRC using 16s rRNA sequencing. They found that in this group, 24 individuals had mutations in the KRAS gene, and the remaining patients had the non-mutated form of the gene. Sequencing further revealed 26 different types of gut microbiota that were present in one group but not the other. The genera Fusobacterium, Clostridium, and Shewanella were all abundant in the mutant group. Fusobacterium has previously been connected to the development of CRC. Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia were also abundant in the samples from patients without a KRAS mutation. Bifidobacterium is a probiotic, and Akkermansia has shown probiotic activities, according to previous studies.
The researchers concluded that gut microbes may have the potential to be used as a non-invasive biomarker for identifying subtypes of CRC. The presence of these bacteria may reduce an individual’s chances of developing the KRAS mutation, and may in turn slow the progression of CRC. Tang and team also expressed hope that, once further research has been conducted and the role of gut microbiota in CRC is better understood, a deep learning model with the ability to use this information to guide personalised treatment recommendations could be developed.
“This study aligns with our broader research focus on understanding the intricate interplay between genetic mutations, the tumour microenvironment, and gut microbiota in colorectal cancer,” commented Tang. This work contributes to an ever-increasing body of research which may one day change the way treatment for CRC is approached.
