LONDON: A new study from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals and King’s College London has made a surprising discovery: a type of mouth bacteria can effectively kill cancer cells in the head and neck. This revelation offers new hope for combating head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), a notoriously challenging cancer with limited advancements in treatment.
Published in Cancer Communications, the research highlights the complex role of fusobacterium, a bacterium known for its role in worsening bowel cancer. Contrary to its detrimental effects in the bowel, fusobacterium has shown a remarkable ability to eradicate cancer cells in the head and neck region.
Dr. Miguel Reis Ferreira, the senior author of the study, emphasized the dual nature of these bacteria. “This research reveals that these bacteria play a more complex role than previously known in their relationship with cancer – they essentially melt head and neck cancer cells,” Dr. Ferreira stated. Despite their known role in exacerbating cancers like those in the bowel, fusobacterium appears to have a paradoxical effect in head and neck cancers.
The study, which involved an international team of scientists and analyzed data from 155 head and neck cancer patients, found that those with higher levels of fusobacterium had a significantly better prognosis. Patients with elevated levels of this bacterium had a 65 percent higher chance of survival compared to those with lower levels, as reported by The Guardian.
In laboratory experiments, fusobacterium was observed to destroy 70-90% of cancer cells within a few days. The bacterium achieves this by releasing toxic molecules that target and kill cancer cells. “You put it in the cancer at very low quantities and it just starts killing it very quickly,” Dr. Ferreira explained.
The study’s unexpected findings challenge previous assumptions that fusobacterium would exacerbate cancer growth, as observed in the bowel. Instead, the bacteria’s ability to destroy head and neck tumors presents a potential breakthrough in cancer treatment.
Dr. Anjali Chander, senior clinical research fellow at King’s College London and lead author of the study, expressed excitement about the results. “Our findings are remarkable and very surprising. We had a eureka moment when we found that our international colleagues also found data that validated the discovery,” Dr. Chander noted.
Barbara Kasumu, Executive Director of Guy’s Cancer Charity, expressed pride in the research’s progress. “We are proud to support the ground-breaking research conducted by Miguel and Anjali, which aims to enhance our understanding of head and neck cancer and develop more compassionate and effective treatments,” Kasumu said.
