A groundbreaking discovery has revealed that a common oral bacterium, fusobacterium, has the astonishing ability to shrink certain types of cancer. Researchers were brutally surprised to find that people who had fusobacterium in their head and neck cancers had much better outcomes, with a substantial reduction in mortality rates.
In laboratory experiments, the bacterium demonstrated a remarkable capacity to eradicate cancer cells, with a striking 70-99% reduction in viable cells within just a few days. This was observed when the bacterium was left in petri dishes with cancer cells for a short period.
A comprehensive analysis of 155 patients with head and neck cancer from the Cancer Genome Atlas database further reinforced these findings, revealing a 65% reduced risk of death where fusobacterium was detected.
The study was conducted by experts at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and King’s College London, in partnership with international researchers. They are now investigating the exact biological mechanisms behind these findings, hoping to uncover how fusobacterium achieves its cancer-killing effect.
According to Dr. Miguel Reis Ferreira, senior study author and consultant at Guy’s and St Thomas’, “In essence, we found that when you find these bacteria within head and neck cancers, they have much better outcomes.” He added, “The other thing that we found is that, in cell cultures, this bacterium is capable of killing cancer. This research reveals that these bacteria play a more complex role than previously known in their relationship with cancer – that they essentially melt head and neck cancer cells.”
However, Dr. Reis Ferreira also noted that this finding should be balanced by the bacterium’s known role in making cancers, such as those in the bowel, get worse. The researchers hope that their discovery will lead to the development of new treatments for patients with head and neck cancer, which encompasses cancers of the mouth, nose, sinuses, throat, and voice box.
