GI highlights from the literature

Basic scienceShould we target the microbiota in the treatment of colorectal cancer?

Bullman S, Pedamallu C, Sicinska E, et al. Analysis of Fusobacterium persistence and antibiotic response in colorectal cancer. Science 2017. pii: eaal5240. doi: 10.1126/science.aal5240. [Epub ahead of print 23 Nov 2017].

The gut microbiota has emerged as a key driver of colorectal cancer (CRC) development and progression. Several recent studies have shown that higher levels of Fusobacterium species are present in human CRC tissue compared with adjacent normal mucosa. Fusobacteria can protect the tumour through suppression of immunity and tumour cell killing, leading to the suggestion that Fusobacteria may actually promote tumour growth and survival. This recent study investigated the role of Fusobacterium and its associated microbiome in CRC. Analysing five independent patient cohorts, they demonstrated that the microbiota associated with Fusobacterium-positive CRC was also seen in distal metastases, reported as microbiota similarity between paired...

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