Exposure to microbiota, or microorganisms such as bacteria, in the early stages of life plays a crucial role in establishing optimal conditions in the intestine that inhibit the development of colon cancer in adulthood, according to a study led by Georgia State University.
Exposure to microbiota, or microorganisms such as bacteria, in the early stages of life plays a crucial role in establishing optimal conditions in the intestine that inhibit the development of colon cancer in adulthood, according to a study led by Georgia State University.
The research team explored how being exposed to microbiota in utero and in the weeks after birth contributed to the development of colitis-associated cancer in mice later in life. Until now, the effects of prenatal and early postnatal microbial exposure on adult health and disease outcomes have received relatively limited research focus. The findings are published in the journal Cancer Immunology Research.
“Our conclusions are that early-life microbiota are instrumental in regulating proper immune responses that are effective at limiting the development of colon cancer in mice,” said Dr. Tim Denning, lead author of the study and professor in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State. “When you have altered microbiota early in life or the absence of microbiota in early life in this case, that may predispose you to the development of colon cancer and perhaps other cancers.
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