SCIENTIFIC EDUCATIONAL CENTER science idea

The results of a study by Irish scientists suggest that there is a direct link between the presence of Fusobacterium nucleatum bacteria in the intestine, which usually live in the oral cavity, and the spread of colorectal cancer.
Researchers from the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland (RCSI) together with colleagues from Queen's University in Belfast analyzed more than 600 samples of cancer tumors of patients from Northern Ireland from the Atlas of the Cancer Genome. This international project is dedicated to the study of genetic mutations responsible for a particular type of cancer in order to improve diagnosis, prognosis of outcome and treatment methods.
According to WHO, in 2020, 1.9 million diagnoses of bowel cancer were made in the world. That's about ten percent of all new cancer cases in a year.
Using genomic sequencing methods, the authors found traces of infections caused by bacteria in the sample materials that could not have been detected earlier. The researchers set themselves the task of understanding which tumors can be infected and which bacteria, and how these infections affect the growth and spread of tumors.
Scientists have found that infection of an intestinal tumor with Fusobacterium nucleatum bacteria changes the behavior of cancer cells and can provoke the spread of the tumor to other organs.
"This study demonstrates the role of Fusobacterium nucleatum bacteria in the spread of bowel cancer in patients. We hope that these discoveries will improve diagnostics to improve the effectiveness of current treatment and help further promote the use of new therapeutic agents for patients infected with this bacterium," the head of the study, Dr. Jochen Prehn, professor of physiology and director of the RCSI Center for Systemic Medicine, is quoted in a press release from the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland.
Fusobacterium nucleatum is a bacterium of the human oral cavity, which plays a key role in periodontal diseases, a key component of plaque. Fusobacteria create a pro-inflammatory environment around themselves, which promotes tumor growth by attracting immune cells penetrating into the tumor. Now researchers have proven the connection of Fusobacterium nucleatum with colorectal carcinoma.
The authors believe that in the future, the effectiveness of cancer treatment will largely depend on the depth of research on each patient.
"An effective tool is urgently needed to help oncologists personalize the treatment of colorectal cancer," says Pren.
Scientists hope that their results will help clinicians to identify the risk of an adverse outcome in a timely manner and make decisions about treatment options for patients with bowel cancer whose tumors are infected with the bacterium.
The article was published in Gut magazine
PHOTO © Wellcome Images Cancer cells, electronic micrography
Source: RIA Novosti, sci-dig.ru