Monday, July 06, 2020

Cells inside Cells: The Bacteria That Live in Cancer Cells

Amazing stuff! Very exciting! This research might open up new and perhaps very potent avenues to prevent or defeat cancer in the near future!

"Cancer cells are comfy havens for bacteria. That conclusion arises from a rigorous study of over 1,000 tumor samples of different human cancers. The study ... found bacteria living inside the cells of all the cancer types – from brain to bone to breast cancer – and even identified unique populations of bacteria residing in each type of cancer.  ... The research suggests that understanding the relationship between a cancer cell and its “mini-microbiome” may help predict the potential effectiveness of certain treatments or may point, in the future, to ways of manipulating those bacteria to enhance the actions of anticancer treatments. ... The team also reported that bacteria can be found not only in cancer cells, but also in immune cells that reside inside tumors. ... to answer some crucial questions about the roles these bacteria play:
Are the bacteria freeloaders on the cancer cell’s surplus metabolites, or do they provide a service to the cell?
At what stage do they take up residence?
How do they promote or hinder the cancer’s growth?
What are the effects that they have on response to a wide variety of anticancer treatments?
"

Cells inside Cells: The Bacteria That Live in Cancer Cells The bacterial lodgers in cancer cells may hinder or help treatment

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