Braf Mutation Induces Rapid Neoplastic Transformation In The Aged And Aberrantly Methylated Intestinal Epithelium

SSLs arising in the aged intestine are at a significantly higher risk of spontaneous neoplastic progression. These findings provide support for a new conceptual model for serrated colorectal carcinogenesis, whereby risk of induced neoplastic transformation is dependent on age and may be related to age-associated molecular alterations that accumulate in the ageing intestine, including DNA methylation. This may have implications for surveillance and chemopreventive strategies targeting the epigenome.