In exploring the relationship between viruses in the gut and colorectal cancer (CRC), researchers led by A/Prof Tan Ker Kan and Dr Law Jia Hao collected stool samples from non-cancer individuals and from patients with CRC before and after surgery. They found key differences in gut viruses compared to non-cancer individuals, which in turn potentially affected healthy bacterial composition. After surgery, some of these changes reverted to a non-cancer state, indicating potential implications for CRC diagnosis and treatment. Understanding how gut viruses affect CRC could pave the way for novel diagnostic and surveillance tools, and more effective therapeutic strategies in the future.

Read more here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-53041-z