Bacterial gut biome may guide colon cancer progression
Friday, April 4, 2014 - 14:30
in Health & Medicine
Gut bacteria can change the microenvironment in a way that promotes the growth and spread of tumors, research demonstrates. The results suggest that bacterial virulence proteins may suppress DNA repair proteins within the epithelial cells that line the colon. "There is a drastic, unmet need to look at new ways to define exactly how colon cancer forms in the gut and what triggers its progression into a lethal form," said the lead researcher. "We suggest that some bacterial proteins can promote genetic changes that create conditions in the gut that would favor the progression of colon cancer."