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Updated: Apr 23, 2026

Colonization with Murine pks+ Escherichia coli under Non-Inflammatory Conditions
Published on: March 10, 2026
Bacteria flying under the radar: linking a bacterial infection to colon carcinogenesis
Jacqueline I Keenan1, Frank A Frizelle1
1Department of Surgery, University of Otago Christchurch, PO Box 4345, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand.
Abstract:
The emergence of a link between Helicobacter pylori infection and an increased risk of gastric cancer has raised an awareness of a possible link between colonic microbiota and colorectal cancer. Pertubation of the colonic epithelium by toxin-producing strains of Bacteroides fragilis may increase the risk of premalignant transdifferentiation. However, like H. pylori, B. fragilis exhibit an ability to modulate the normal host response to infection. We speculate this may be an underappreciated risk factor in the genesis of colon carcinogenesis in individuals colonised with toxin-producing strains of B. fragilis.
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