Microbial Dna Signature In The Blood Differentiates Primary Liver Cancer From Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Determining whether a cancerous tumor originated successful a fixed location aliases dispersed location from different insubstantial aliases organ successful nan assemblage is important erstwhile assessing nan apt people of a patient's disease. When nan root of nan superior tumor cannot beryllium identified, it tin beryllium challenging to decently diagnose nan malignancy and find nan champion curen strategy. Now, researchers astatine University of California San Diego person identified a microbial DNA signature successful humor plasma that reliably differentiates superior liver crab from colorectal crab that has dispersed to nan liver (metastatic colorectal cancer).

The usage of microbial DNA signatures could unfastened up a caller diagnostic pathway, particularly successful situations wherever radiographic imaging is ambiguous aliases not accessible."

Amir Zarrinpar, MD, PhD, Professor, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, UC San Diego School of Medicine

The researchers isolated cell-free DNA (cfDNA) - fragments of DNA from dormant cells that are recovered successful bodily fluids - from nan humor plasma of 16 patients diagnosed pinch superior liver crab and 11 patients diagnosed pinch metastatic colorectal cancer.

A metagenomic study revealed that:

• The microbial cfDNA classifier distinguished superior liver crab from metastatic colorectal crab pinch 90% accuracy.
• Microbes predominantly recovered successful patients pinch superior liver crab included Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Corynebacterium accolens and C. glucuronolyticum.
• Microbes predominantly recovered successful patients pinch metastatic colorectal crab included Acinetobacter tandoii, A. tianfuensis, A. septicus, A. parvus, Pseudomonas asiatica and Bifidobacterium faecale.
• Microbial type that were recovered much successful superior liver crab patients are known to beryllium associated pinch immunocompromised patients, liver transplant complications and antimicrobial defense, whereas microbial type recovered successful metastatic colorectal crab are known to beryllium associated much pinch hospital-acquired infections, bloodstream infections and gastrointestinal inflammation.

While larger studies are needed, nan findings support increasing grounds of nan microbial engagement successful crab biology.

"This is 1 of nan first studies to show that microbial DNA successful humor whitethorn beryllium utilized to non-invasively separate tumor root without nan usage of instrumentality learning aliases artificial intelligence, peculiarly betwixt 2 communal liver pathologies," said Zarrinpar.

The investigation has imaginable objective applications including early crab discovery and monitoring of high-risk patients, and could lend to nan improvement of microbial DNA-based biomarkers for test and microbiome-based crab therapies.

The study was published successful eGastroenterology connected August 14, 2025. This investigation was funded by nan Prevent Cancer Foundation, nan National Cancer Institute and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center.