Characterization of Plasmids Isolated from Bacterial Flora of CRC Patients – Proof of Concept

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading oncogenic disorders, both in terms of incidence and mortality. The etiology of the disease is certainly multifactorial. Various risk factors like alcohol consumption, smoking, CRC family history, inflammatory bowel disease, hormone therapy, aspirin/nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use, higher body mass index, consumption of red and/or processed meat, insufficient physical activity, and decreased intake of fruit and vegetables have been pointed out; however, there is not enough support evidence for a single particular causative mechanism. Recently, gut bacterial microbiota has been shown to influence significantly the pathogenesis of CRC. However, little attention is paid to the putative impact of plasmids in gut flora.