A TYPE of bacteria that causes dental plaque can make certain cancers "melt" and almost completely disappear, scientists have discovered. Scientists were "brutally surprised" to find that Fusobacterium appears to have the ability to kill up to 99 per cent of certain cancers. 1 The mouth bacteria could lead to a new era of cancer treatments People whose head and neck cancers had this bacteria within their tumours have also been found to have "much better outcomes", according to a new study.
In the mouth, it’s one of the most common types of disease-causing bacteria, linked to gum disease and plaque buildup . The science behind the new link is being looked into by researchers at Guy's and St Thomas' and King's College London, after they made the discovery. Their new study, conducted in collaboration with an international team of researchers, used several different methods to study the link.
Experts used modelling to help identify which bacteria may be of interest to further investigate. Then they studied the effect of the bacteria on cancerous cells in a laboratory. They also performed an analysis of tumour data of 155 patients with head and neck cancer.
In the laboratory studies, researchers put quantities of the bacteria in Petri dishes and left them for a couple of days. Most read in Health TURNED DOWN Gers transfer target 'REJECTS Ibrox offer after Light Blues have bid accepted' FINAL DESTINATION Connor Goldson 'flies to GERMANY' as transfer exit takes surprising twist ON.
