A new study has revealed a surprising aid in the battle against bowel cancer with scientists decoding the mysteries of salmonella. Now, experts believe the devastating disease can be genetically engineered into world-leading combatants against bowel cancer.
Director of research at Cancer Research UK, Dr Catherine Elliott, described the study as “exciting” and “providing hope for patients”. The charity funded the joint study between the University of Birmingham and the University of Glasgow which has now been published the EMBO Molecular Medicine journal.
First author of the study and research fellow at the University of Birmingham, Dr Alastair Copland noted the revelation could “turn a disease-causing bug like salmonella into one that combats cancer”. This is no surprise to scientists though as the expert highlighted the disease’s power against cancer is well-known.
Unfortunately, the disease has proved to be a double-edged sword when used in cancer treatments previously as it targets and disables the patient’s immune system just as viciously as it attacks their cancer. The doctor explained: “One longstanding mystery has been why T cells, which are key to fighting cancer, don’t function optimally during this treatment.
“Now, we’ve identified the protein responsible for this, and pinpointed an exciting genetic target that could help us unleash the full potential of this therapy.” The study’s results showed the T cells of mice with bowel cancer responding to genetically engineered forms of salmonella.
This meant the mice’s immune systems could continue to function during their cancer treatment. Further research is still needed to fully understand salmonella’s impact and refine the bacterial treatment for cancer.
Salmonella is a common bacteria usually present in the guts of animals like chickens, cows and pigs. It can contaminate an array of food from the eggs and meat of the animals to fruits and vegetables that have been in contact with the livestock or manure.
For people infected by a normal strain of salmonella, they can usually expected some quick onset symptoms like diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting. The disease can last from four to seven days, but is very rarely life-threatening.
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