Patients with familial adenomatous polyposis harbor colonic biofilms containing tumorigenic bacteria

2018 Science 1,034 citations

Abstract

Biofilms provide refuge for cancerous bacteria Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) causes benign polyps along the colon. If left untreated, FAP leads to a high incidence of colon cancer. To understand how polyps influence tumor formation, Dejea et al. examined the colonic mucosa of FAP patients. They discovered biofilms containing the carcinogenic versions of the bacterial species Escherichia coli and Bacteroides fragilis . Colon tissue from FAP patients exhibited greater expression of two bacterial genes that produce secreted oncotoxins. Studies in mice showed that specific bacteria could work together to induce colon inflammation and tumor formation. Science , this issue p. 592

Keywords

Familial adenomatous polyposisColorectal cancerMicrobiomeAdenomatous polyposis coliAdenomatous polypsMedicineBacteriaBiofilmGastroenterologyBiologyCancerPathologyInternal medicineGeneticsColonoscopy

Affiliated Institutions

Related Publications

Publication Info

Year
2018
Type
article
Volume
359
Issue
6375
Pages
592-597
Citations
1034
Access
Closed

External Links

Social Impact

Social media, news, blog, policy document mentions

Citation Metrics

1034
OpenAlex

Cite This

Christine M. Dejea, Payam Fathi, John M. Craig et al. (2018). Patients with familial adenomatous polyposis harbor colonic biofilms containing tumorigenic bacteria. Science , 359 (6375) , 592-597. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aah3648

Identifiers

DOI
10.1126/science.aah3648