Cancers caused by mutations in the KRAS gene are challenging to treat, and current KRAS inhibitor therapies can leave behind reversible drug-tolerant persister (DTP) cells that survive therapy, contributing to tumor regrowth and relapse. Researchers from Chiba University found that these surviving cells adapt by reshaping their metabolism. By targeting these metabolic adaptations, the team succeeded in reducing the survival of DTP cells. The findings may help develop therapies to reduce relapse in KRAS-mutant cancers.

Researchers from EMBL, LUMC, and collaborators reanalysed nearly 6,800 gut microbiome profiles in colorectal cancer patients and controls.

One of the largest single-disease gut microbiome meta-analyses to date, the new study identified a robust colorectal cancer microbiome signature that was consistent across populations, sequencing methods, and age-of-onset groups. 

A machine-learning classifier could distinguish colorectal cancer from non-cancer microbiomes across datasets. 

The colorectal cancer microbiome signature was linked to lower dietary fibre intake and could be reduced through fibre-focused dietary interventions.