Researchers have discovered that pancreatic cancer, a challenging disease to diagnose and treat, may be detected early through gut microbes. A recent international study revealed that gut microbes could play a crucial role in both the detection and potential treatment of pancreatic cancer.

A collaborative effort between researchers from HUS, the University of Helsinki, the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, and Iran uncovered new insights into the relationship between gut microbes and pancreatic cancer. By analyzing the gut microbiomes of pancreatic cancer patients in Finland and Iran, as well as their healthy counterparts, the study included over 180 individuals. This research, published in Gut Pathogens, forms part of Doctoral Researcher Heidelinde Sammallahti's doctoral dissertation at the University of Helsinki.

The study found that regardless of geographic location or ethnic background, pancreatic cancer patients shared similar gut microbes associated with the disease. Notably, the intestinal flora of pancreatic cancer patients showed a higher presence of harmful bacteria and a lower abundance of beneficial bacteria compared to the healthy group.

Specifically, beneficial bacteria from the Clostridia class, responsible for producing butyric acid, such as Lachnospiraceae, Butyricicoccaceae, and Ruminococcaceae, were found to be reduced in pancreatic cancer patients. On the other hand, pathogens like Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcaceae, and Fusobacteriaceae were present at higher levels in the intestinal flora of pancreatic cancer patients.

Senior Lecturer Satu Pekkala from the University of Jyväskylä highlighted the significance of the findings, stating, "The findings related to beneficial Clostridia are intriguing as previous studies have shown that certain Clostridiales populations can enhance anti-cancer immune responses against solid tumors."

The researchers suggest that future studies should explore the potential of these beneficial bacteria as a new form of probiotics that could be used in conjunction with traditional chemotherapy drugs. This combined approach could offer a more targeted and efficient strategy for managing pancreatic cancer. However, further research is needed to validate these findings across diverse populations.

In addition to identifying the microbial signature associated with pancreatic cancer, the researchers developed a statistical model based on the microbiome that could potentially predict the presence of pancreatic cancer. This advancement represents a crucial step towards early detection of pancreatic cancer in the future.

Source: Medical Xpress