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.