Gut microbiome, plasma metabolites and colorectal cancer

Access to EGA study: EGAS00001001704 / Lifelines-DEEP

We propose to evaluate the potential causal effects of the gut microbiome and blood metabolome on CRC risk among European descendants via Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses. Specifically, we have two aims: (1) evaluate the causal effects of gut microbial features and blood metabolites on CRC risk using a univariable two-sample MR approach; (2) Investigate gut microbial features mediating the causal associations between blood metabolites and CRC risk, and blood metabolites mediating the causal associations between gut microbial features and CRC risk, using a multivariable MR approach. 

We plan to use gut microbiome, plasma metabolomics and genetic data from Lifelines DEEP to identify instrumental single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that will be used in MR analyses.