Researchers identify bacteria capable of destroying cancer

Dental Tribune International

Mon. 26 August 2024

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LONDON, England: Treatment of head and neck cancer is notoriously complex, and only few advances have been made in the last 20 years. Last month, however, a team of researchers based mainly in the UK made the startling discovery that Fusobacterium, a genus of bacteria that research has firmly associated with the presence and development of a variety of cancers, may also play a crucial role in combating head and neck cancer. The discovery holds significant promise for predicting the survival rates of head and neck cancer patients as well as for further establishing the processes through which the bacteria combat carcinogenic cells.

Within the research community, Fusobacterium is typically considered to be carcinogenic. For example, recent research reported Fusobacterium to be present and in higher abundance in oral and head and neck cancer samples compared with non-cancer samples, and the authors said that this may suggest that Fusobacterium may contribute to oral and head and neck cancer development. Similarly, another recent study found Fusobacterium to be abundant in oral tongue cancer.

In contrast to this strong pathological correlation, a team of researchers mainly based at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London last month published a paper that points in the opposite direction, illuminating a hitherto unknown positive capacity of the bacteria. Their findings show, firstly, that head and neck cancer patients harbouring higher levels of the bacteria consistently had a better prognosis than those with lower levels of the bacteria and, secondly, that Fusobacterium possesses the capacity to, in fact, destroy tumour cells. Speaking to Dental Tribune International, Dr Anjali Chander, a senior clinical research fellow at Guy’s Hospital, and Dr Miguel Reis Ferreira, a clinician scientist at King’s College London, two of the study’s authors, commented on the dynamics of this process.

“We are currently exploring the underlying mechanisms of this observation, but from preliminary experiments, we have established that the action of Fusobacterium on head and neck cancer cells is likely via a molecule it produces and releases. Additionally, all of us have plenty of these bacteria in our mouths, and only a small fraction of humans will develop mouth cancers.”

With discoveries of this nature, hopes are often quickly raised that a definitive treatment for cancer has finally been found. While emphasising the significant promise of their research, Drs Chandler and Ferreira also cautioned that there is still much to be learned.

“This research will help further knowledge of how bacteria and cancers interact and is the first step in optimising head and neck cancer treatment outcomes for patients. However, we still need to better understand its role, how best to use it and whether we can harness these properties in cancer treatment,” they said.

The study, titled “Fusobacterium is toxic for head a nd neck squamous cell carcinoma and its presence may determine a better prognosis”, was published in the August 2024 issue of Cancer Communications.