MiHGG (Microbiota in High Grade Glioma)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploratory Evaluation of the Microbiota in High Grade Glioma
IRAS ID
334454
Contact name
Miguel Reis Ferreira
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
REC, 24/PR/0861
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 4 months, 27 days
Research summary
We propose to investigate if bacteria or bacterial products are present in the tumours of people with a type of brain cancer called high-grade glioma. We know that bacteria in the gut can be linked to cancer and can modify cancer outcomes. If bacteria can be found in brain cancers, they may affect how the tumour grows and responds to treatment.
Brain tumours affect about 12,000 people each year. Sadly, we cannot cure high grade gliomas. Treatment has not improved significantly for 20-30 years.
We have recently conducted a study at Guy's and Southampton Cancer centre demonstrating that antibiotics taken during treatment significantly worsen survival. This suggests that changing our bacteria makes the cancer more resistant to treatment. This could be due to bacteria in the gut or the tumour itself.
Many organs thought to be free of bacteria (stomach, prostate or abdominal cavity), have now been found to have bacteria in them. The brain has always been considered sterile, but now we are seeing signs that brain tumours might have their own set of microorganisms. There is a need to perform studies to confirm this. Then, we can use this information to study how the bacteria modify brain tumour behaviour. This will let us investigate ways to improve brain cancer treatment.
To do this we will collect samples of brain tumours and the fluid around the brain at the time of surgery. We will also take a swab of the tumour, faecal and blood samples. We will look for signs of bacteria in the samples and see where they are. We will observe the participants over time to see if the bacteria relate to how the tumour responds.
REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/NW/0237
Date of REC Opinion
18 Jul 2024
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion