Gut Virus & Colorectal Cancer Link Discovered

A recent study conducted by a research team from institutions in Denmark and Australia revealed a pivotal role for a previously undescribed virus linking gut bacteria to the development of colorectal cancer.

The study, published in the journal Communications Medicine, focused on the bacteria Bacteroides fragilis, a bacteria found naturally in healthy people, but researchers sought to unravel its frequent association with cancer patients.

This examination, which was led by microbiologist Flemming Damgaard from Odense University Hospital in Denmark, allowed for the diagnosis of the presence of “bacterial bacteriophages”, which are viruses that inhabit bacterial cells and are attached to these bacteria in people with cancer.

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By analyzing genetic data from 877 people, the team found that people with colon polyps were twice as likely to have detectable levels of this virus in their intestines compared to healthy people, suggesting that viruses lurking within bacteria may be the factor that tipped the balance in contracting the disease.

The impact of environmental factors on human health
Although researchers have not yet proven a direct causal relationship, they have confirmed that the interaction between bacteria and the virus they carry opens new horizons for understanding how environmental factors, which constitute 80% of the risk of contracting this cancer, affect human health.

The team believes that this discovery may be used in the near future to develop screening tests using stool samples to identify people most at risk, paving the way for targeted treatments based on the viruses that live inside the bacteria.