News Archive
Colorectal Cancer and the Microbiome Webinar
Colorectal Cancer & the MicrobiomeIt’s becoming increasingly clear that colorectal cancer – the third most common cancer worldwide – is intricately linked to microbes in the gut. The OPTIMISTICC team, in collaboration with Colorectal Cancer Canada has produced...
Mr. Barry D Stein received the 2021 Canadian Cancer Research Alliance’s award for Exceptional Leadership in Patient Involvement in Cancer Research.
Barry is the President and CEO of Colorectal Cancer Canada and a patient advocate on our OPTIMISTICC team. He received this award for his tireless efforts to improve treatment access for all cancer patients in Canada by facilitating the engagement of patients in...
Metatranscriptomics (“MTX”) is a powerful method for measuring microbial gene expression
Metatranscriptomics (abbreviated "MTX") is a powerful method for measuring the gene expression (functional activity) of many members of a microbial community all at the same time by using shotgun DNA sequencing technology. In a recent review article, the Huttenhower...
BRAF mutation changes the characteristics of colorectal cancers in a mouse model
In a recent publication, the Sears lab showed that introduction of the BRAFV600E mutation into mice colonized with enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) leads to production of midcolon tumors with similarity to human BRAFV600E tumors and distinct from the...
New Link Between Red Meat Consumption and CRC
The Giannakis and Ogino labs have published a new study in Cancer Discovery that describes a mutational signature associated with high intake of red meat and increased colorectal cancer mortality. The team analyzed whole exome sequencing and epidemiological data from...
Organoids and Organs on Chips and the Microbiome: A New Review
In a new review in Cell Host & Microbe, Jens Puschhof and Cayetano Pleguezuelos-Manzano, from the lab of Hans Clevers, describe advances in co-culturing microbes with intestinal and colonic epithelia. Organoid and organ-on-a-chip platforms in particular are...
CRC Screening Guidelines in US to Begin at Age 45
The US Preventive Services Task Force has lowered the age for routine colorectal cancer screening. The recommendation follows months of discussion and input from other societies including the American Cancer Society and many colorectal cancer advocacy organizations. ...
Thriving as a Patient Advocate: Balancing Unseen Burdens
Watch Dr. Laura Porter's presentation at the 2nd Annual Global Colon Cancer Association's 2021 Congress Thriving Patient Advocate | Global Colorectal Cancer Congress (gccacongress.org)
A microbiome signature for colorectal cancer
A collaboration of the Quirke and Huttenhower labs has led to the publication of two papers, in Clinical Cancer Research and Genome Medicine, that report a microbiome signature that is associated with colorectal cancer and is consistent between developed and...
Dr. Cindy Sears is named 2021 Women of ID Honoree
The Infectious Diseases Society of America Foundation has recognized OPTIMISTICC Co-Investigator Dr. Cindy Sears, as a 2021 Women of ID honoree for her impactful career in infectious disease research, compassionate care, and mentoring the next generation of ID...
