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Microbial DNA signature in plasma enables cancer diagnosis

Bacteria within tumours affect progression and response to therapy; in addition, bacterial DNA can be detected in cell-free plasma. Herein, we discuss evidence showing that intratumoural bacteria are characteristic for each tumour type, and that detection of cell-free bacterial DNA in blood could provide an accurate and non-invasive test for cancer diagnosis.

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Fig. 1: Microbial DNA signatures in tissues and blood to identify presence and type of cancer.

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Correspondence to Giorgio Trinchieri.

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Dzutsev, A., Trinchieri, G. Microbial DNA signature in plasma enables cancer diagnosis. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 17, 453–454 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41571-020-0391-1

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