DR-186 Comprehensive evaluation of microbial organisms in human metastatic cancers and their influence on local immunity

We have shown that many human cancer types can be diagnosed using microbial DNA and RNA from patients’ primary tumors or matched blood (Poore et al., 2020. Nature). Our preliminary data suggests that a metastatic tumor’s tissue-of-origin can also be determined by examining its microbial constituents, as they may be located intracellularly (Nejman et al., 2020. Science). Using the HMF dataset, we hope to comprehensively evaluate if metastatic-associated microbes indeed mirror their primary tumor counterparts and how this may affect local immune responses and survival. The findings, if successful, could support a new type of cancer diagnostic and prognostic.

Rob Knight University of California San Diego USA