This bacteria is related to the growth of 50% of colon cancers

2024-03-20 16:02:10
A bacteria that normally resides in our mouth and is capable of traveling to the intestine would be responsible for about 50% of colorectal cancer tumors. This microbe also causes patients to have worse outcomes after cancer treatment. The findings, published in the journal ‘Nature’, could help improve treatments and early detection methods for colorectal cancer, one of the deadliest cancers. Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (USA) examined colorectal cancer tumors removed from 200 patients and assessed levels of Fusobacterium nucleatum, a bacteria known to infect tumors. Related News Goodbye to standard colonoscopy No A new blood test detects colon cancer early Rafael Ibarra The blood test and the stool test open the door to the simplest prevention of one of the most frequent tumors in Spain In approximately In 50% of cases, they found that only a specific subtype of the bacteria was elevated in tumor tissue compared to healthy tissue. Additionally, they found this microbe in higher quantities within stool samples from colorectal cancer patients compared to stool samples from healthy people. «Patients with colorectal tumors with Fusobacterium nucleatum have a lower survival than patients without this bacteria», explains Susan Bullman, co-author of the study. “We are discovering that a specific subtype of this microbe is responsible for tumor growth.” For Bulllman, these data “suggest to us that therapies and screenings that target this subgroup within the microbiome would help those people who have a higher risk of more aggressive colorectal cancer.” From the mouth to the intestine This team was trying to understand how the bacteria moves from its typical environment in the mouth to a distant site in the lower intestine and how it contributes to cancer growth. First they found something surprising that could be important for future treatments. The predominant group of Fusobacterium nucleatum in colorectal cancer tumors, which was believed to be a single subspecies, is actually composed of two distinct lineages. “This discovery is comparable to that of the Rosetta Stone in terms of genetics,” explains Christopher D. Johnston, another of the authors. By separating the genetic differences between these lineages, the researchers found that the Fna C2 type that infiltrated the tumor had acquired distinct genetic traits suggesting that it could travel from the mouth through the stomach, resist stomach acid, and then grow in the lower gastrointestinal tract. This discovery is comparable to that of the Rosetta Stone in terms of genetics Christopher D. Johnston Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Subsequently, when comparing tumor tissue with healthy tissue from patients with colorectal cancer, they found that only the Fna C2 subtype is significantly enriched in colorectal tumor tissue and is responsible for the growth of colorectal cancer. “We have identified the exact bacterial lineage that is associated with colorectal cancer, and that knowledge is essential to develop effective preventive and therapeutic methods,” highlights Johnston. Experts believe their study is an opportunity to develop microbial cell therapies, which use modified versions of bacterial strains to deliver treatments directly to tumors.
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