Investigating the potential of the microbiome to improve the accuracy of the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (NHSBCSP) (360G-Wellcome-203524_Z_16_Z)

£196,056

This PhD will analyse the microbiomes of a cohort of the NHSBCSP directly from stool on guaiac Faecal Occult Blood Test (gFOBT) cards using 16SrRNA Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). Goals: 1) Characterise microbiome signatures of participants with a positive gFOBT result but normal colonoscopies. These microbiome signatures will identify false positive results, improve specificity and reduce unnecessary colonoscopies. 2) Characterise microbiome signatures of participants with a positive gFOBT result who have pathology at colonoscopy. Subsequently search for these signatures within a gFOBT negative cohort to identify false negatives and improve sensitivity. 3) Interrogate microbiome signatures to identify panels of biomarker bacteria which could be detected by qPCR rather than NGS. 4) Design a protocol to extract bacterial DNA directly from FIT (Faecal Immunochemical Test), enabling the research to transition as FIT replaces gFOBT. 5) Compare microbiome signatures from consecutive biennial screens to demonstrate the stability of microbiome signatures over time. These goals will demonstrate that incorporating microbiome analysis into the NHSBCSP: is feasible will improve sensitivity/specificity adds value, by detecting both bleeding and non-bleeding cancers could be used: to collect longitudinal population-based microbiome data; to screen for microbiome-associated diseases other than colorectal cancer; to perform national monitoring of antibiotic resistance.

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Grant Details

Amount Awarded 196056
Applicant Surname Young
Approval Committee Clinical Interview Committee
Award Date 2016-06-29T00:00:00+00:00
Financial Year 2015/16
Grant Programme: Title Research Training Fellowship
Internal ID 203524/Z/16/Z
Lead Applicant Dr Caroline Young
Partnership Value 196056
Planned Dates: End Date 2020-01-30T00:00:00+00:00
Planned Dates: Start Date 2016-12-03T00:00:00+00:00
Recipient Org: Country United Kingdom
Region Yorkshire and the Humber
Sponsor(s) Prof Philip Quirke