Patients with familial adenomatous polyposis harbor colonic biofilms containing tumorigenic bacteria

Authors: Christine M. Dejea, Payam Fathi, John M. Craig, Annemarie Boleij, Rahwa Taddese, Abby L. Geis, Xinqun Wu, Christina E. DeStefano Shields, Elizabeth M. Hechenbleikner, David L. Huso, Robert A. Anders, Francis M. Giardiello, Elizabeth C. Wick, Hao Wang, Shaoguang Wu, Drew M. Pardoll, Franck Housseau, Cynthia L. Sears - Science 2018 cited by 1,140

Biofilms provide refuge for cancerous bacteria Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) causes benign polyps along the colon. If left untreated, FAP leads to a high incidence of colon cancer. To understand how polyps influence tumor formation, Dejea et al. examined the colonic mucosa of FAP patients. They discovered biofilms containing the carcinogenic versions of the bacterial species Escherichia coli and Bacteroides fragilis . Colon tissue from FAP patients exhibited greater expression of two bacterial genes that produce secreted oncotoxins. Studies in mice showed that specific bacteria could work together to induce colon inflammation and tumor formation. Science , this issue p. 592