Scientists have discovered in a study that a common type of bacteria found in the mouth has the potential to eliminate certain types of cancer.
Researchers were astonished to find that “Fusobacterium”, a common oral bacterium, has the ability to target and destroy specific cancers.
According to the research, individuals with throat and head cancers who had this bacterium present showed better outcomes.
Following these initial findings, researchers from Guy’s and St Thomas’ and King’s College London are conducting further studies.
In the new research, scientists used various methods to understand this relationship. They utilized modeling to identify which bacteria warranted further investigation.
Subsequently, they studied the effects of the bacteria on cancer cells in the laboratory and analyzed data from 155 patients with head and neck cancer, whose tumor information was compiled in the Cancer Genome Atlas database.