Evaluation of the utility of NGS sequencing and microbiome-DynaMAP profiling for the analysis of microbiota composition abnormalities and identification of pathogens in the course of diarrhea of undetermined etiology in patients with blood cancers
Project manager: dr Agnieszka Sroka-Oleksiak
Implementation period: 2023-2024
Project type: Miniatura 7
Every year, more than 900,000 people are diagnosed with blood cancer around the world. patients. In Poland, approximately 150,000 people suffer from it. people, and this number increases by over 6,000 every year, which translates into twice the incidence in the last 30 years. Despite advanced methods of cancer treatment, diarrhea, which devastates the patient's body, is still one of the most common clinical problems. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to determine their etiology, and current microbiological diagnostics based on cultures is insufficient. The limitations of culture methods result mainly from the low sensitivity of the test and the fact that 50-90% of the intestinal microbiome consists of uncultured bacteria or bacteria that are difficult to culture on microbiological media. An additional difficulty is the lack of clear diagnostic procedures. Therefore, the use of appropriate therapy in patients with general immunosuppression may be a challenge and is most often based solely on symptomatic treatment. Each case of diarrhea of unknown etiology in a group of hematological patients requires an individual diagnostic and therapeutic approach. Based on current knowledge, it can be concluded that diarrhea is not only related to the presence of a single pathogen, but primarily results from disturbances in the homeostasis of the composition and mutual proportions of the intestinal microbiota. So far, apart from scientific research, no diagnostic schemes include expanding diagnostics in this area. In response to the above problems, the main goal of the scientific activity will be to identify the etiological factors of diarrhea and to precisely determine the composition and mutual proportions of the intestinal microbiota in the course of diarrhea in hematological patients using next-generation sequencing (NGS) and the innovative microbiome profiling technology - DynaMAP. The results obtained will contribute to the development of new, personalized diagnostic schemes based on the latest molecular biology tools, which in the future will translate into targeted treatment and improvement of the patient's quality of life.