An intestinal pathogen reshapes the gut environment to fuel its own colonization and cause diseases. A multi-institutional research team showed that enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF), which causes diarrhea and has been implicated in colitis (inflammation of the colon) and colorectal cancer, uses a toxin it produces to reprogram intestinal cell metabolism and generate conditions that support its growth. The study, published April 30 in the journal Cell, points to new therapeutic strategies for disrupting the growth of pathogens like ETBF.

Cases of several cancers are rising in England among both younger and older adults, but rates of bowel and ovarian cancer are rising only among younger adults (under 50s), finds research published in the open access journal BMJ Oncology.  Some other types of cancer are also rising faster in younger adults than they are in older adults, the findings indicate.  While excess weight is a key contributor, it’s unlikely to fully explain these patterns, say the researchers.

Randomized trial found newer screening test had a greater uptake among participants, but increasing follow-up colonoscopy tests remain a priority

A large-scale national surveillance study looked at past colorectal cancer death trends and projected accelerating rates among Millennials and younger adults, highlighting the need for rethinking screening strategies.

Investigators from VHIO, which is part of the Vall Hebron Campus, publish the first study to address the impact of the exposome on early-onset colorectal cancer through epigenetic signatures.

The researchers compared epigenetic methylation marks in patients with early-onset colorectal cancer with those of patients with late-onset colorectal cancer and confirmed previously identified risk factors including diet, education level, and smoking.

They have now identified exposure to picloram, a widely used herbicide, as a new risk factor associated with the development of colorectal cancer in individuals younger than 50 years old. Using population data, the investigators report that US counties with a higher use of this pesticide have higher rates of early-onset colorectal cancer, even after accounting for socioeconomic factors and the use of other pesticides.

Published today in Nature Medicine, this research has been possible thanks to the funding received from the "la Caixa" Foundation and the Spanish Association Against Cancer.