ABOVE: Oral cancer cells (left) are infected with one of three periodontal pathogens (stained in green) for two hours before being injected into the mouth of mice. Treponema denticola (right) can be seen invading oral cancer cells, which researchers found leads to a more aggressive cancer.
ALLAN RADAIC AND LEA SEDGHI, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
In the last few decades, scientists have identified more than a dozen pathogens—from human papillomavirus to Helicobacter pylori—that contribute to the progression of cancers. In a study published today (October 1) in PLOS Pathogens, researchers demonstrate the mechanism by which three oral bacteria found in cells of the gums promote oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) tumor development and progression in mice. And they show that a bacteriocin, an antimicrobial peptide that bacteria produce, counters the effects of the oral bacteria and slows tumor growth.
“This study fits in nicely in a growing body of evidence ...
