This common bacteria has been linked to a surge in bowel cancer amongst young people

A glimmer of hope for researchers

According to the latest research, early childhood exposure to this culprit could be responsible for early-onset bowel cancer in young adults.

The rising rate of bowel cancer amongst young people around the world has left experts desperate for answers.  

Given that the symptoms of the disease are difficult to differentiate from typical bodily fluctuations (especially in women), it is common for bowel cancer to progress undetected until it reaches advanced stages, making successful treatment far less likely.

Now, thanks to the findings of a recent study, an unexpected culprit has been linked to early-onset bowel cancer, helping researchers better understand why more people are developing the cancer at a younger age, and potentially increasing detection and treatment strategies going forward. 

According to the research conducted by Team Mutographs in collaboration with Cancer Grand Challenges, a toxin produced by E. coli could be linked to the rise in early-onset bowel cancer cases around the world. 

While E. coli – an essential component of a healthy gut microbiome – is best known for causing food poisoning and diarrhoea, this particular toxin, known as colibactin, has the potential to alter DNA.

Published in the journal Nature, the study led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, analysed 981 bowel cancer genomes from patients across 11 countries. 

“These mutation patterns are a kind of historical record in the genome, and they point to early-life exposure to colibactin as a driving force behind early-onset disease,” explains Professor Ludmil Alexandrov, a senior author of the study. 

E. coli is best known for causing food poisoning and diarrhoea. Image: Pexels

“If someone acquires one of these driver mutations by the time they’re 10 years old, they could be decades ahead of schedule for developing colorectal cancer, getting it at age 40 instead of 60,” he adds.

When analysed by researchers, the DNA changes caused by colibactin were commonly found in adults with early-onset bowel cancer, compared to adults who developed the disease from age 50 onwards. 

The research team behind the groundbreaking study observed that colibactin-linked mutation patterns were 3.3 times more common in adults diagnosed with bowel cancer before age 40 than those diagnosed in their 70s onwards. 

DNA changes linked to the toxin were also commonly observed during the first stages of bowel cancer development, and while more research is needed to establish a direct causal link, the current findings may help scientists better understand the relationship between childhood exposure to colibactin and early-inset bowel cancer. 

Childhood exposure to colibactin may be linked to early-inset bowel cancer. Image: Getty Images

How does this research shape the future of bowel cancer prevention and treatment?

While the link between childhood microbiome and early-onset cancer is indeed prevalent in the most recent findings, longer-term studies tracking the effects of childhood colobactin exposure as people age need to be conducted before scientists fully understand the potential this toxin has as a cause of cancer, rather than just an associate. 

If future research supports the hypothesis, scientists will be able to develop more advanced and accurate ways of tracking colibactin exposure and subsequent DNA changes in young people, potentially helping to prevent a considerable number of early-onset bowel cancer cases. 

To better understand the link between early-onset bowel cancer and this toxin, further research into what factors lead to the growth of E. coli strains that produce colibactin is also needed.

This research reshapes how we think about cancer. Image: iStock.

“It’s unclear how the exposure originates, but we suspect that a combination of factors – including diet – may intersect during a crucial phase in the development of the gut microbiome,” says Dr David Scott, the head of Cancer Grand Challenges. “This study adds an important piece to the puzzle of early-onset cancers, but it isn’t conclusive, and more research will be needed.”

While the research does leave scientists with many more questions, it also affirms the potential influence our early childhood can have on our health later in life.  

“This reshapes how we think about cancer,” study author Alexandrov says. “It might not be just about what happens in adulthood – cancer could potentially be influenced by events in early life, perhaps even the first few years. Sustained investment in this type of research will be critical in the global effort to prevent and treat cancer before it’s too late.”

Originally published as This common bacteria has been linked to a surge in bowel cancer amongst young people