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microbiome, cancer

microbiome, cancer

Microbial Menace in Cancer Patients

Niki Spahich, PhD | Jul 5, 2023 | 2 min read

Fyza Shaikh investigates how microbes shape cancer patients’ health and recovery.

Illustration of intestine containing pink microbes

Fungal DNA, Cells Found in Human Tumors

Catherine Offord | Sep 30, 2022 | 2 min read

It’s not clear whether, or how, the organisms might play a role in disease pathology.

Leveraging the Microbiome to Break Down Tumor Resistance

The Scientist and PerkinElmer | 1 min read

Mat Robinson and Mark Tangney discuss how enhancing the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors improves patient outcomes.

Engineered Bacteria Make Tumors More T Cell-Friendly

Aparna Nathan, PhD | Apr 8, 2022 | 5 min read

Microbes designed to produce specific immunomodulatory metabolites could give immunotherapy a boost.

Bacteria in Tumors Promote Metastasis in Mice

Sophie Fessl, PhD | Apr 7, 2022 | 3 min read

Microbes living inside cancer cells may help them spread to distant sites by enhancing the cells’ resistance to mechanical stress, a study shows.

Aging and Cancer: A Complex Relationship

The Scientist | 2 min read

An expert panel will discuss how aging affects cancer risk, development, and treatment practices.

Abstract composition of design object with lines and spheres

Notable Science Quotes

The Scientist | Mar 16, 2022 | 3 min read

Reviving the Cancer Moonshot, disentangling the microbiome's effect in cancer, the observer effect, and more

Could Cancer’s Microbiome Help Diagnose and Treat the Disease?

Jef Akst | Mar 14, 2022 | 10+ min read

A growing appreciation of the bacterial assemblages that live within tumors has researchers striving to understand and capitalize on their role.

Manipulating the Microbiome to Manage Disease

The Scientist Creative Services Team in collaboration with Tecan | 1 min read

Cammie Lesser will discuss how she turns a probiotic into a drug-delivering machine, while Andrew Y. Koh will describe the connection between the gut microbiota and cancer immunotherapy efficacy.

Illustration showing microbial signatures of cancer in the body

Infographic: Putting Cancer’s Unique Microbiomes to Use

Jef Akst | Mar 14, 2022 | 1 min read

From diagnosis to tracking treatment responses, bacteria and other microbes in the blood, gut, and tumors of cancer patients may provide helpful hints for improving their care.

The Common Mouth Microbe That Keeps Popping Up in Tumors

David Adam | Dec 15, 2021 | 6 min read

Lab studies link the oral bacteria Fusobacterium nucleatum to cancers from the gut to the head and neck. Could targeting the microbe tackle tumors?

A Little Help From My Friends: Lessons Learned From Microbiome Metagenomics

The Scientist | 1 min read

Heather Jordan and Jennifer Wargo will discuss how metagenomics studies help uncover new and medically relevant functions of the human microbiome.

Salty Diet Helps Gut Bugs Fight Cancer in Mice: Study

Sophie Fessl, PhD | Sep 20, 2021 | 4 min read

A high-salt diet suppressed the growth of tumors in a mouse model of melanoma, apparently because of an interplay between the gut microbiome and natural killer cells.

white and yellow colonies growing on a petri dish

Gut Fungi Hamper Radiation Therapy in Mice with Cancer

Rachael Moeller Gorman | Aug 11, 2021 | 3 min read

Depleting intestinal fungi allows radiation to effectively fight cancer, likely because the microbes influence the antitumor immune response.

An illustration of several DNA helices on a light red water color background

Human Blood Harbors Cell-Free Microbial DNA

Abby Olena, PhD | Jul 9, 2021 | 3 min read

After controlling for high levels of bacterial contamination in their lab and reagents, researchers detect microbial genetic material in plasma samples from healthy people and cancer patients.