{
  "id": 17412497,
  "title": "Scientists finally discover how a common gut bacterium can trigger colon cancer",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/scientists-finally-discover-how-a-common-gut-bacterium-can-trigger-17412497",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-31T13:49:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ScienceDaily",
    "slug": "sciencedaily",
    "url": "https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/10/261031012912.htm"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Scientists have discovered the mechanism by which a common gut bacterium can trigger colon cancer. For nearly two decades, it was known that Bacteroides fragilis, a bacterium found in intestines of up to 20% of healthy people, produces a toxin called BFT that damages the colon and drives tumor formation. However, the process by which the toxin attaches to intestinal cells and begins its attack remained unclear. Researchers at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have identified the missing step, revealing a critical receptor that could lead to new ways of protecting the colon. The receptor, a protein called claudin-4, plays a key role in maintaining the barrier between cells in the colon. When BFT binds to claudin-4, it can no longer attack the protein E-cadherin, which helps hold neighboring cells together and maintain the protective lining of the colon. Without attaching to claudin-4, the toxin is unable to damage E-cadherin, suggesting a potential new approach to preventing bacterial damage associated with colorectal cancer. The discovery was made through a genome-wide CRISPR screening that identified claudin-4 as the essential receptor for BFT. This unexpected finding reveals a completely new strategy for bacterial toxins to attack cells, with implications for understanding and treating diarrhea, colorectal cancer, and bloodstream infections.",
  "summary": "Scientists at Johns Hopkins have uncovered a crucial missing link between a common gut bacterium and colorectal cancer, solving a mystery that has puzzled researchers for nearly two decades. The bacterium, Bacteroides fragilis, produces a toxin that damages the colon’s protective lining, triggers chronic inflammation, and promotes tumor formation.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}