Leveraging circulating microbial DNA for early cancer detection

Trends Cancer. 2023 Nov;9(11):879-882. doi: 10.1016/j.trecan.2023.08.001. Epub 2023 Sep 1.

Abstract

Microbial cell-free DNA (microbial cfDNA) offers a minimally invasive approach for profiling the microbiome. Despite technical and biological challenges, the potential of microbial cfDNA for cancer detection is increasingly being evaluated using deep sequencing, novel laboratory approaches, and computational methods. Targeting the microbiome using liquid biopsies could improve early cancer detection.

Keywords: cancer; circulating microbial DNA; early detection; liquid biopsy; microbiome.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell-Free Nucleic Acids* / genetics
  • DNA
  • Early Detection of Cancer
  • Humans
  • Liquid Biopsy / methods
  • Neoplasms* / diagnosis
  • Neoplasms* / genetics

Substances

  • DNA
  • Cell-Free Nucleic Acids