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  "path": "/news/2026-04-effect-gene-linked-colorectal-cancer.html",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-01T18:00:02.000Z",
  "site": "https://medicalxpress.com",
  "textContent": "A new study has answered a question that has puzzled cancer researchers for decades: Does a genetic defect found in nearly all human colorectal cancers simply accompany the disease, or does it trigger its development? A team led by Harvard Medical School researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center showed that replicating the genetic defect by deleting a single gene called COSMC (C1GalT1C1) in cells lining the intestines of mice led to the development of invasive colorectal cancer within a year.",
  "title": "Cause or effect? Study answers question about gene linked with colorectal cancer"
}