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Pancreatic Cancer-related Microbiota Research

Pancreatic Cancer-related Microbiota Research

Alfa Cytology is a leading provider of pancreatic cancer (PC) research services. We have many years of experience in pancreatic cancer molecular research and can provide a variety of quality services to our clients. We help global customers investigate the microbial diversity of pancreatic cancer and the interaction between pancreatic cancer and microbiome.

Relationship of Microbiome and Pancreatic Cancer

The pancreas has been considered a sterile organ until recent studies found bacterial populations in both normal pancreatic tissue and pancreatic cancer tumor samples. Pancreatic cancer tissue has been shown to possess a unique intra-tumoral bacterial profile with higher bacterial abundance compared to normal pancreatic samples. There are some of the most prevalent intra-tumoral bacteria phyla, including Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes. Among them, Proteobacteria accounts for the highest percentage. Similar to the bacterial findings, the fungal compartment (mycobiome) of the pancreatic cancer samples differed from the healthy samples and were enriched with Malassezia species.

Changes in the human gut microbiota can affect the occurrence and development of pancreatic cancer.Fig. 1 The potentially carcinogenetic roles of gut microbiota in pancreatic cancer. (Quanxiao L.; et al., 2020)

In addition to intra-tumor ecological dysregulation, studies have shown differences in the gut and oral microbiota between pancreatic cancer and healthy individuals. Pancreatic cancer is found to have significantly lower intestinal microbial and fungal diversity. Compared to healthy controls, pancreatic cancer also had a unique composition of intestinal microbiota. In addition, the microbial diversity of the tongue coating has shown a significant increase in pancreatic cancer individuals, and the bacterial composition of the tongue coating is significantly different between pancreatic cancer and controls. Several bacterial genera can be used to distinguish pancreatic cancer from healthy individuals.

Microbiome targeting therapy may be a new therapeutic strategy for PDAC.Fig. 2 Associations and potential roles of the microbiome with pancreatic cancer precursors and PDAC. (Miyabayashi, K.; et al., 2022)

Our Services

Metagenomics and the sequencing of the 16S/ITS marker gene have greatly advanced microbiome research. Alfa Cytology is now exploiting these technologies to help researchers and professionals investigate the associations between certain microbiome patterns and pancreatic cancer to discover new therapies.

  • NGS-based sequencing of ITS and 16S rRNA genes are both well-established methods for microbiome research, allowing comparison of the phylogeny and classification of samples from complex microbiomes or environments.
  • Metagenomic analysis is a better option, but at a higher cost. It has a better resolution at the species or even strain level, without the need for PCR library preparation.
Comparison of marker gene and metagenomic sequencing
Techniques Advantages Disadvantages
Marker gene sequencing
  • Fast and easy library preparation
  • Suitable for low biomass or high contamination samples
  • Well-established bioinformatics methods and tools
  • PCR-induced bias
  • The choice of primers and variable regions has a large impact on the taxonomic results
  • Limited information and resolution
Metagenomic
  • Reliable abundance analysis
  • High resolution at species and strain level
  • Allow de novo assembly
  • No need for PCR library preparation
  • Provide abundant information on all sequenced and characterized microbes
  • More expensive and time-consuming
  • Deep sequencing needs

Applications of Our Services

We are dedicated to offering reliable metagenomic and 16S/ITS rRNA sequencing for further in-depth study of pancreatic cancer and the microbiome. Our services are applicable in many ways, including but not limited to the following.

Why Choose Us?

Scientific Excellence Customized Solutions Collaborative Approach Worldwide Service Data
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Thank you for choosing our services. You can contact us for more details about our pancreatic cancer basic research platform, or any other inquiries. Our customer service representatives are available 24 hours a day from Monday to Sunday.

References

  1. Quanxiao L, et al. Gut microbiota: Its potential roles in pancreatic cancer. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology 2020: 564.
  2. Miyabayashi K, et al. The Role of the Microbiome in Pancreatic Cancer. Cancers 2022, 14, 4479. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14184479
All of our services are intended for preclinical research use only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.