Biological clock disorders make young people susceptible to cancer

According to a study recently published in the scientific journal Science Advances, lifestyle factors that disrupt the biological clock can accelerate the progression of colorectal cancer , explaining why the number of people with this disease is getting younger.

Habits that disrupt the biological clock can promote cancer. (Illustration: AI).

Lead author Associate Professor Selma Masri from the University of California at Irvine (USA) said that she and her colleagues used mice that had been induced to have colorectal cancer and a device that can interfere with their circadian rhythm . They found that when the circadian clock was disrupted, the diversity and quantity of gut bacteria would change, the function of the intestinal barrier would also be affected, thereby promoting the development of cancer. Some previous studies have even linked the imbalance of the gut microbiota to the onset of gastrointestinal cancers.

According to Associate Professor Masri, the discovery opens up new directions for prevention and treatment strategies for colorectal cancer and possibly other cancers. "There is an alarming increase in early-onset colon cancer in adults under 50 years of age," she warned, noting that this could be due to adverse lifestyle factors that young people today often encounter, including prolonged exposure to light or eating late at night.

Colorectal cancer currently ranks third in the number of cases and second in the number of deaths among cancers - according to data released by the World Health Organization in early 2024.