Generating solutions

Helicobacter pylori (Hp) is the main cause of peptic ulcer disease and a major risk factor for gastric cancer. Around 13 million Canadians are infected with Hp, a bacterial pathogen. Hp infections and related gastric cancers disproportionately affect Indigenous and new arrival to Canada populations. Treatment can cure Hp infections and prevent gastric cancer. The standard treatment is complex, requiring up to four different medications, and some types of Hp are now resistant to this treatment. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing can improve Hp treatment, but it is technically demanding and not routinely done in Canada. Therefore, an effective alternative to diagnose Hp infections and identify antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is urgently needed. This project will develop an end-to-end metagenomics-based pipeline prototype for Hp identification and AMR detection directly from clinical specimens. The team will also create a reference database for Hp AMR and develop national reports, in the form of antibiograms. Potential benefits include more rapid and accurate testing, leading to more successful treatment of Hp infections and fewer cases of gastric cancer. Data from this project will also fill current gaps in Hp monitoring, thus allowing the clinical, public health and scientific communities to better understand Hp diversity in Canada. The ultimate impact will be to reduce the social and economic burden of Hp infections on Canadians.