Two Bacteria in Colon, create Colon Cancer.

Colon cancer increasing in Millennials, and two bacteria strains might be why

Updated| Two species of bacteria work cooperatively to trigger colon cancer tumors, a study published Thursday reports. The finding, which surprised the researchers, could eventually lead to new avenues for treatment.

From article, (Two species of bacteria work cooperatively to trigger colon cancer tumors, a study published Thursday reports. The finding, which surprised the researchers, could eventually lead to new avenues for treatment. 

Most bacteria can't travel past the protective layer surrounding the colon. But these two species—Bacteroides fragilis and Escherichia coli—could bypass this guardian and reach the epithelial cells, where tumors typically originate. Sears suspected that the bacteria had a hand in turning those cells cancerous. 

To better understand the role of these bacteria species in colon cancer, Sears and colleagues examined colon tissue from six people with familial adenomatous polyposis, an inherited disorder in which polyps grow in the colon with a high risk of turning malignant. The researchers found that among the 500 types of bacteria known to live in the colon, B. fragilis and E. coli—the same species found in the prior study—were the most prevalent. 

 Sears has a theory about how these two species conspire to spur cancer: E. coli triggers genetic mutations and B. fragilis produces a toxin that promotes cancer. “It is the combination of these effects, requiring coexistence of these two bacteria, that creates the ‘perfect storm’ to drive colon cancer development,” Sears said in a statement. The study is published in the February issue of Science. 

In addition to studying human tissue, the researchers also looked at mice. They found that when the colons housed colonies of both bacterial species at once, the mice developed a large number of tumors. When one or neither species was present, the mice had few or no tumors. The finding reinforced the notion that the species work together to trigger colon cancer.)

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