A large international study coordinated by the University of Trento has identified an intestinal microbial signature strongly associated with colorectal cancer, opening new perspectives for the development of non-invasive screening tests based on fecal microbiome analysis. The study, led by Nicola Segata (CIBIO, University of Trento and IEO in Milan), involved 3,741 individuals from 18 international cohorts. Among the co-authors are Alessio Naccarati, Barbara Pardini, and Sonia Tarallo (Department of Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology at IIGM), as well as Giulio Ferrero and Francesca Cordero (University of Turin).
Published in Nature Medicine, the study “Cross-stage, strain-level, pooled analysis of the gut microbiome in 3,741 individuals from 18 colorectal cancer cohorts”, identified a specific group of bacteria – including Fusobacterium nucleatum, Parvimonas micra, and Gemella morbillorum – found almost exclusively in cancer patients. The metagenomic analysis was supported by predictive models based on machine learning, achieving a diagnostic accuracy close to 90%. Beyond tumor detection, the bacterial signature also provides information on the clinical stage and anatomical location of the neoplasm. The findings confirm the potential of the microbiome as a clinical target for early diagnosis and lay the foundation for a complementary or alternative approach to colonoscopy, pending definitive clinical validation.
