Jessica Petrick

PhD

Boston University

Investigator

PLCO (Learn more about this study)

2018-0014

Jun 29, 2018

What are the mechanisms of obesity on the premalignant lesion of esophageal adenocarcinoma? The relevance of the oral myco- and microbiome in Barrett’s esophagus.

Barrett’s esophagus is a pre-neoplastic metaplasia of esophageal adenocarcinoma and its only known precursor. Abdominal obesity is one of the main risk factors for Barrett’s esophagus, but the mechanisms that underlie the relationship between obesity and risk of Barrett’s esophagus remain incompletely understood. Although many assume a direct, mechanical effect of obesity on promoting gastroesophageal reflux leading to oxidative damage and replacement with Barrett’s metaplasia, the evidence is not conclusive to such a hypothesis. Thus, innovative, alternative hypotheses merit investigation. We hypothesize that the oral microbiota—the community of microorganisms, including fungi and bacteria, that reside within human tissues and biofluids—interacts with obesity to influence risk of Barrett’s esophagus. Studying premalignant lesions, such as Barrett’s esophagus, can elucidate key risk factors that act early in disease onset. The proposed study will leverage cutting-edge technologies and statistical techniques combined with existing oral rinse samples to investigate this hypothesis and potentially provide evidence in support of a new paradigm of how obesity affects risk of Barrett’s esophagus.