Unmasking Colibactin: The Bacterial Villain Behind Rising Young Adult Colorectal Cancer Rates

Research reveals a bacterial toxin, colibactin, as a key factor in increased early-onset colorectal cancer, highlighting DNA mutations linked to early exposure. The study, covering 981 genomes, found colibactin-related mutations thrice as prevalent in young patients, pointing to environmental microbial factors behind the cancer's rising incidence in young adults globally.

An international research team has spotlighted a bacterial toxin, colibactin, as a potential cause for the troubling increase in early-onset colorectal cancer. The toxin, produced by certain strains of Escherichia coli in the colon, imprints a unique genetic signature on colon cell DNA, heightening cancer risk before age 50.

This expansive study, spearheaded by the University of California, San Diego, assessed 981 colorectal cancer genomes from both early and late-onset patients across 11 countries with diverse cancer risk levels. Published in Nature, the April 23 report revealed colibactin-specific DNA mutations were 3.3 times more frequent in early-onset cases than in those diagnosed after age 70, especially in countries with high early-onset incidence.

The findings underscore the alarming trend: colorectal cancer is increasingly affecting young people worldwide, projected to become the leading cancer-related death cause among young adults by 2030. This study sheds light on previously unexplored environmental or microbial factors, explaining why young patients, often without family history or known risk factors, develop the disease.

(With inputs from agencies.)