A team led by VHIO Principal Investigator and OPTIMISTICC scientist Dr. Paolo Nuciforo has found an association between the persistence of Fusobacterium nucleatum in rectal tumors of LARC patients after chemotherapy and higher rates of rectal cancer relapse. This discovery, published recently in the Annals of Oncology, indicates that Fusobacterium can serve as a prognostic biomarker that will help physicians better determine and adjust courses of treatment for LARC. This study is described in more detail in VHIO’s press release.
Microbes are important in human health
Dr. Emma Allen-Vercoe: The Importance of Microbes to Human HealthIn a recent podcast by the Centre for Inquiry Canada, Emma Allen-Vercoe talks about the importance of microbiome research and how she became involved in the OPTIMISTICC project.