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Editorial
. 2018 May;118(11):1407-1409.
doi: 10.1038/s41416-018-0101-2. Epub 2018 May 18.

Microbial networking in cancer: when two toxins collide

Sarah Tomkovich  1 , Christian Jobin  2   3   4
Affiliations
Editorial

Microbial networking in cancer: when two toxins collide

Sarah Tomkovich et al. Br J Cancer. 2018 May.

Abstract

A recent study by Dejea et al. has demonstrated that two enterotoxigenic bacteria frequently associated with sporadic colorectal cancer, Bacteroides fragilis and pks+ Escherichia coli, are found together in biofilms on tissue from patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. In preclinical mouse models, these two bacteria and their corresponding toxins work synergistically to promote colon cancer.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
ETBF and pks+ E. coli are found together within FAP patients and synergise to promote colorectal cancer. a Increased prevalence of ETBF carrying Bacteroides fragilis toxin and E. coli carrying pks+ toxin, in polyps and macroscopically normal biofilm tissues from FAP patients. b Wildtype mice treated with azoxymethane and co-colonised with ETBF and pks+ E. coli developed more tumours than mono-colonised mice. ETBF, through mucin degradation, favours pks+ E. coli mucosal tissue colonisation and facilitate pks+ -induced genotoxicity. AOM, azoxymethane; FAP, familial adenomatous polyposis; ETBF, enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment on

References

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