New insights into colorectal cancer: How cellular stress reshapes gut microbiota and promotes tumor growth
recent study, currently available as a preprint, was conducted by an international team of researchers led by Olivia I. Coleman and Adam Sorbie, with contributions from numerous others, including Tim Kacprowski (see complete author list below). It highlights how cellular stress responses in intestinal cells can contribute to the development of colorectal cancer by shaping the gut microbiota.
The researchers focused on ATF6, a protein activated under cellular stress, and its role in altering intestinal lipid metabolism. They found that sustained ATF6 activation leads to increased production of long-chain fatty acids, creating a biochemical environment that supports the growth of tumor-associated bacteria—most notably Desulfovibrio.
By using techniques such as untargeted metabolomics and bioorthogonal tagging, the researchers were able to trace how ATF6-related metabolic changes create conditions that benefit these tumor-associated microbes. When fatty acid production was inhibited or gut microbiota composition was modified, tumor growth in mice was significantly reduced.
The study suggests that targeting ATF6-induced metabolic shifts could offer new opportunities in cancer prevention or therapy.
Read the full preprint here: