Toxin could be linked to rise in bowel cancer in young people
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Scientists have discovered a potential link between colibactin, a toxin produced by E. coli, and the increasing rates of bowel cancer in young people.
Colibactin can alter DNA and may increase the risk of bowel cancer before age 50 by imprinting a genetic signature on bowel cells in early childhood.
A study found colibactin-related DNA mutations were 3.3 times more common in early-onset bowel cancer cases (under 40) than in those diagnosed after 70.
These mutations were also more prevalent in countries with higher early-onset bowel cancer rates.
Researchers are developing early detection tests that analyse stool samples for colibactin-related mutations.