GUT-SCAN · GUT-commensal Strain for Cancer Assessment and Notification

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Project objective

Colorectal cancer is one of the deadliest cancers in the European Union, claiming over 158,956 lives in 2022 alone. Despite its slow progression—typically over 10-15 years—early detection remains a major challenge. Current screening programs primarily rely on Fecal Immunochemical Tests, which detect hidden blood in stool. However, these tests often fail to identify non-bleeding cancers and can yield false positives due to benign lesions like polyps. Here, I hypothesize that engineering a living bacterial platform can enable on-site detection of colorectal cancer-specific biomarkers within the gastrointestinal tract. To achieve this, the system should ideally: i) utilize adequate bacterial models capable of persisting in the gastrointestinal tract, and ii) develop a robust platform for detecting biomarkers. In this project, I will use my expertise in bacterial engineering focused on clinical applications to transform a safe, abundant and genetically tractable gut-commensal into a microbial-based diagnostic tool. This platform will offer a low-cost, scalable solution for mass screening campaigns—not only for colorectal cancer. This innovation, therefore, has broad translational potential and will pave the way to a new frontier in microbial-based diagnostic tools and bacterial-based therapies.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• VIB VZW · ZWIJNAARDE - GENTCoordinatorBelgium

Links

• View on CORDIS
• DOI: 10.3030/101280414