DR-367 Examining the effects of microbial colonization of cancer and its role in metastasis

In many cancers, microbiota have emerged as an influential component of the tumor environment. However, the extent to which microbiota colonize various cancer types, the mechanisms underlying colonization, and their role in metastasis remains poorly understood, missing a possible avenue for the development of new cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. Using the Hartwig database, we will perform a pan-cancer analysis that characterizes the microorganisms colonizing human tumors, their associated metastases, and their links to patient health and cancer outcomes. Specifically, we plan to study microbial genomic features and host genetic features involved in microbial colonization of human cancers.

Matthew Meyerson, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, USA