Recent studies have revealed a concerning trend: cases of colon cancer among individuals under 55 have doubled in the past 20 years. Central to this issue is colibactin, a genotoxic substance produced by certain strains of E. coli. Researchers at UC San Diego analyzed tissue samples from nearly 1,000 colorectal cancer patients globally and observed that most had mutations indicating colibactin exposure. Notably, individuals under 40 with early-onset colon cancer had a significantly higher detection of these mutations, suggesting early life exposure may increase colorectal cancer risk later.
You can think of it as the weapon system of a bacteria to fight other bacteria and to defend themselves.
Our estimate is that it happens within the first 10 years of life, so if you get that mutation at age 5, that puts you 20 to 30 years ahead of schedule for getting colorectal cancer.
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