A naturally occurring bacterium from amphibian intestines completely eliminated colorectal tumors in mice with a single treatment by both attacking cancer cells and activating the immune system. The findings point to a promising new type of cancer therapy that could one day work against many solid tumors.

Scientists at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) have identified a naturally occurring bacterium from the intestines of Japanese tree frogs (Dryophytes japonicus) that demonstrated remarkable anticancer activity in mice. The findings, published in Gut Microbes, introduce a new approach to cancer treatment that uses living bacteria to directly target tumors rather than simply altering the gut microbiome.

  • sunsofold@lemmy.zipEnglish
    2·
    3 days ago

    The FDA has plenty of issues but saying ‘no, you can’t test things on humans without first testing them on non-human animals,’ isn’t for the sake of the companies. There are a lot of ‘potential cures’ for which we never want human trials, because rodent trials reveal how much cancer they cause rather than cure.