The Role of Escherichia coli in the Development and Progression of Cancer

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a widely distributed microorganism in nature and normally colonize the human gastrointestinal tract. E. coli strains are part of the normal gut microbiota. In recent years, some E. coli strains producing the genotoxin colibactin have been associated with development and progression of colon cancer. However, the role of E. coli and their toxins in carcinogenesis is not entirely clear. Thus, some proteins secreted by bacteria may trigger and promote tumor development. In this paper, we focus on reviewing some proteins produced by E. coli, which have been associated with cancer. Also possible mechanisms involved on transformation of epithelial cells into tumor cells, are briefly described.