NIH R01 · 2025
Understanding the Mechanism of a Gut Microbial Genotoxin Involved in Colorectal Carcinogenesis
PROJECT SUMMARY Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent form of cancer in the US and the second leading cause of cancer deaths. Studies over the last several decades have revealed that the gut microbiota influences CRC, and recent work has implicated gut bacterial genotoxins as key effectors in cancer development and progression. One of the bacterial genotoxins most strongly connected to cancer is colibactin, a metabolite produced by human gut commensal bacteria, including certain E. coli strains, that possess a biosynthetic gene cluster termed the pks island. The increased prevalence of pks+ E. coli in CRC patients and the ability of pks+ strains to potentiate tumorigenesis in…
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