A common weed killer left a hidden epigenetic footprint in early-onset colon cancer

A study led by José A. Seoane, Head of the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology's (VHIO) Computational Biology Group identifies for the first time the exposome footprint—the set of environmental and lifestyle exposures—in colorectal cancer in patients under 50 years of age through epigenetic signatures. By comparatively analyzing DNA methylation patterns in patients under and over 50, the work, published today in the journal Nature Medicine, confirms the influence of factors such as diet, education level, and smoking.