Metabolic Link Between Colon Cancer And Bacterial 'Biofilms'
Thursday, May 7, 2015 - 16:50
in Health & Medicine
A research team writes in Cell Metabolism that they have uncovered a clue to how bacteria may promote some colon cancers. The work used metabolomic technologies to find molecular evidence suggesting a vicious circle in which cancerous changes in colon cells promote the growth of bacterial conglomerations called biofilms, and biofilms in turn promote cancer development. On the whole, the findings suggest that removing bacterial biofilms could be a key strategy for preventing and treating colon cancers, which currently kill about 50,000 Americans per year. The study also revealed an apparent metabolic marker of biofilm-associated colon cancers. read more