Washington DC, Oct. 31 -- 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 tumour formation.

For nearly two decades, scientists have known that a common gut bacterium can produce a toxin that damages the colon and helps drive the formation of tumours. What they could not explain was how the toxin first attaches to intestinal cells and begins its attack.

Now, researchers have uncovered that missing step, revealing a surprising vulnerability that could lead t...