colon cancer tagged posts

Bacteria play a critical role in the development of colon cancer, new research suggests. Credit: Elizabeth Cook

Patients with an inherited form of colon cancer harbor two bacterial species that collaborate to encourage development of the disease, and the same species have been found in people who develop a sporadic form of colon cancer, a study led by a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy research team finds. A second study in mice published concurrently by the same researchers shows a possible mechanism behind how one of these species spurs a specific type of immune response, promoting – instead of inhibiting – the formation of malignant tumors...

Swallowable Sensors reveal mysteries of Human Gut Health

First human trials of gas-sensing capsule reveal potential new immune system. The new technology and discoveries offer a game-changer for the 1-in-5 people worldwide who will suffer from a gastrointestinal disorder in their lifetime. They could also lead to fewer invasive procedures like colonoscopies. The ingestible capsule (the size of a vitamin pill) detects and measures gut gases – H2, CO2 and O2 – in real time. This data can be sent to a mobile phone. Professor Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh, study lead and capsule co-inventor, said the trials showed that the human stomach uses an oxidiser to fight foreign bodies in the gut.

“We found that the stomach releases oxidising chemicals to break down and beat foreign compounds that are staying...

agitating host-microbiota interactions to cause low-grade gut inflammation can promote colon carcinogenesis

Emulsifiers, added to most processed foods to aid texture and extend shelf life, can alter intestinal bacteria in a manner that promotes intestinal inflammation and colorectal cancer, according to a new study. The findings, published in the journal Cancer Research, show regular consumption of dietary emulsifiers in mice exacerbated tumor development. Colorectal cancer, the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, was responsible for about 700,000 deaths in 2012. There is increasing awareness that intestinal microbiota play a role in driving colorectal cancer.

The microbiota is also a key factor in driving Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, the two most common for...

Stromal Hh activation attenuates colonic tumour development.

Many types of cancer are caused by gene mutations in the signalling pathways that control cell growth, such as the hedgehog signalling pathway. A new study from the Karolinska Institutet now surprisingly shows that in colon cancer hedgehog signalling has a protective function. Mutations that lead to the activation of hedgehog signalling are the cause of almost all cases of basal cell carcinoma, BCC (a common form of skin cancer) and certain types of brain tumours.

Previous studies have indicated that hedgehog signalling is also important in other types of cancer, such as colon cancer – one of the commonest types of cancer in Sweden...