Microbial DNA signature in plasma enables cancer diagnosis

Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, Published online: 18 May 2020; doi:10.1038/s41571-020-0391-1Bacteria within tumours affect progression and response to therapy; in addition, bacterial DNA can be detected in cell-free plasma. Herein, we discuss evidence showing that intratumoural bacteria are characteristic for each tumour type, and that detection of cell-free bacterial DNA in blood could provide an accurate and non-invasive test for cancer diagnosis.
Source: Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Source Type: research