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Researchers at Technical University Munich have discovered that bacteria and stress in cells, caused tumours in the colon. The investigations were initially carried out using a mouse model. In germ-free animals in which the activated transcription factor ATF6 regulated stress in the intestinal mucosa (intestinal epithelium), no change could be observed. But as soon as the microbiota were transplanted back into germ-free animals, tumours developed in the colons of the mice.
The transcription factor ATF6 regulates stress in cells, and the intensity and duration of activation is increased with diseases. The combination of stress and microbiota causes cancer growth. The data of 541 patients with colon cancer were examined. In those cases in which the level of transcription factor ATF6 was significantly increased, triggering stress, the recurrence rate after surgery increased: About 10 percent of patients were at risk of developing colon cancer a second time.
In some patients, the protein ATF6 could serve as a diagnostic marker for an increased risk of colon cancer and could indicate the start of therapy at an early stage. A microbial therapy is conceivable, considering the composition of the bacterial flora.