A newly discovered virus hiding among common gut bacteria is colorectal cancer, According to a new study.
In a study published earlier this month in the journal Communications Medicine, Danish scientists found that colorectal cancer patients are about twice as likely to carry a previously unidentified virus in Bacteroides fragilis, a bacterium that normally lives in the human intestines.
Researchers say the discovery could help scientists better understand Earth. Role of the gut microbiome In the development of cancer.
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“These findings highlight the importance of the gut microbiome and its relationship to our health,” Dr. Flemming Damgaard, from the Department of Clinical Microbiology at Odense University Hospital and the University of Southern Denmark, told Fox News Digital. “If we want to understand the full picture, we need to look deep into their genetic material.”
Doctors have known for years that Bacteroides fragilis often appears in patients with colorectal cancer, including cancers of the colon and rectum, but since most healthy people also carry Bacteroides fragilis, it was not clear why it was harmful in some cases and not in others.
So researchers focused on a subtle point. genetic differences We discovered something unexpected inside bacteria.
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“We were very surprised that we found the entire virus in the bacteria of colorectal cancer patients,” Damgaard said. “That was unexpected when I started the research.”
This virus, known as a bacteriophage, infects bacteria rather than human cells. The researchers said the type of virus they identified had not been previously documented.
Researchers analyzed stool samples from 877 people in Europe, the United States, and Asia and found that patients with colorectal cancer were almost twice as likely to have the disease. Virus traces compared to people without cancer.
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Although the study results show a strong statistical association, the researchers stress that the study does not prove that the virus causes colorectal cancer and that it is too early to draw any conclusions.
“A major limitation is that we still don’t know why this virus is associated with colorectal cancer,” said co-author Ulrik Stenz Justsen. “But we have already I’m continuing my research. ”
The research team is currently conducting laboratory and animal experiments to determine whether the virus alters bacterial behavior in a way that affects cancer development.
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Research has shown that the human body contains almost as many microbial cells as human cells, highlighting how closely microorganisms are connected to human health.
“Our understanding is that [microbial cells] “There are still many health-related discoveries to be made in the human microbiome,” Damgaard said.
According to the World Health Organization, colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Several notable people have passed away, including James Van Der Beek. Catherine O’Hara Kirstie Alley, Pele chadwick boseman In recent years, attention has focused on the impact of colorectal cancer across age groups.
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Although much of the risk of colorectal cancer is related to diet and lifestyle, researchers believe that the bacteria in your gut may also play an important role.
Currently, colorectal cancer screening includes a colonoscopy as well as a stool test that tests for blood that is invisible to the naked eye. Researchers say that in the future, it may be possible to test stool samples for viral markers like those identified in this study.
The researchers pointed to cervical cancer as an example of how viral causes can be identified. Helpful in prevention efforts. Vaccines have helped reduce new infections, as HPV has been linked to cervical cancer.
Although it’s too early to make that comparison, colorectal cancer could someday follow a similar path if a clear viral role is confirmed, the researchers said.
“It’s too early to act,” Damgaard said. “We have a lot of hope and that’s what we want people to have at this time.”
Fox News Digital’s Melissa Rudy contributed reporting.
