Every tumour has a preferred type of “food” that it needs in order to grow: some cancers favour sugars, while others favour fats. But what would happen if, with the help of the microorganisms living in our intestines, we were able to put cancer on a diet?
This question inspired Microbi Chef, a project developed by researchers from the University of Milano-Bicocca and the National Research Council of Italy – CNR, which is now the focus of a dedicated fundraising campaign on the Ideaginger.it platform, as part of the University’s BiUniCrowd crowdfunding programme.
The project focuses on colon cancer. The challenge is to understand whether it could also be tackled by acting on the relationship between the tumour and the microorganisms inhabiting the intestine.
The Bioinformatics and Computational Systems Biology Laboratory at the University of Milano-Bicocca, led by Professor Chiara Damiani, has developed computational methods that make it possible to identify which nutrients the tumour of a specific patient tends to prefer.
However, new data are needed to understand whether a relationship exists between the microbiota and the tumour’s nutritional requirements. The Milano-Bicocca and CNR team is studying precisely how microorganisms may influence the growth of colon cancer.
«Different forms of colon cancer evolve differently from one patient to another,» explains Chiara Damiani, the project’s team leader. «Each person has a unique genetic heritage, their own lifestyle and a different biological environment. Billions of microorganisms live in our intestines and transform what we eat: they are exclusive chefs forming a team that is different for every patient and develops a personalised recipe.»
«We need to characterise more thoroughly tumour samples for which we already know the composition of the patient’s intestinal flora. Analysing the RNA of 20 colon tumours will allow us to investigate whether there is a relationship between the microbiota and the tumour’s diet. This will be the first step in a broader research pathway and will lay the foundations for future studies.»
The fundraising campaign has an initial target of €8,000, the amount required to analyse the RNA of 20 tumours.
Every euro donated will be worth twice as much: once the campaign has raised the first €4,000, the University of Milano-Bicocca will contribute a further €4,000, doubling the value of the donations. Should the campaign exceed its target, the team will be able to increase the number of samples analysed.
«The results may support further projects aimed at understanding whether it is genuinely possible to put cancer on a diet,» Damiani continues. «If adequately demonstrated, the relationship between the tumour’s diet and the composition of the microbiota could pave the way for research designed to act on the “team of chefs”, moving towards targeted strategies for modulating the microbiota as a possible therapeutic aid.»
The project brings together researchers with expertise in mathematical modelling, artificial intelligence, bioinformatics and experimental biology.
Alongside Chiara Damiani, Associate Professor of Computer Science and head of the Bioinformatics and Computational Systems Biology Laboratory, the team includes Federica Facciotti, Associate Professor and head of Milano-Bicocca’s Mucosal Immunology Laboratory; Bruno Giovanni Galuzzi, a bioinformatics researcher at CNR-IBSBC; doctoral researcher Francesco Lapi; Giulia Toniutti, responsible for science communication; and Alberto Mazzari, who developed the campaign’s visual identity through graphic and digital content.
Emanuele Guanella, a student on the Master’s degree programme in Industrial Biotechnology at the University of Milano-Bicocca, is also completing his dissertation as part of the Microbi Chef project.
Different rewards are available for supporters, depending on the amount donated. These range from joining the project community, receiving dedicated updates and taking part in webinars, to meeting the researchers and visiting the laboratories.
Supporters may also inspire the creation of a personalised “microbe chef”: a unique character that will become part of the project’s visual world.