By analysing all the cells individually, the team were able to pinpoint a specific population of cells they believe are the “true culprits” behind stomach cancer, said Tan.
Likening their approach to zooming in on a pizza topping to measure its nutritional content, he added: “Looking at the data of each single ingredient, we will be able to dissect the specific contributions of each ingredient.”
This was in contrast to other techniques where, going by the same analogy, the entire pizza would have to be mashed just to study its nutritional content, said Tan: “This particular work allows us to see the small populations (of cells) we would otherwise miss when we grind everything up.”
Besides focusing on gene expression profiles within individual cells, the researchers also studied the genetic activity in different regions of the stomach lining across various timepoints to understand how cells go rogue in stomach cancer.
These findings offer a range of avenues for early intervention in the clinic said co-senior author Professor Jimmy So, who heads the Division of General Surgery at the National University Hospital: “We can now explore more targeted surveillance for patients at highest risk, as well as anti-inflammatorial or antibiotic agents to intercept pre-malignant clones before they evolve into cancer, potentially leading to improved patient outcomes through early detection.”
This could be implemented through a simple and inexpensive blood test to identify people who are at a very high risk of getting stomach cancer.
So’s colleague and Singapore Gastric Cancer Consortium lead Professor Yeoh Khay Guan, who is a senior consultant with the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, added, “With this approach, we can divide people into groups based on their risk using either regular check-ups or these affordable blood tests. This helps to save resources by making sure those at the highest risk get the right tests and care they need.”