How was this discovery made?
Frogs, lizards and other amphibians and reptiles rarely get cancer. Scientists at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology wondered what would happen if they introduced the gut bacteria from these animals into mice. They selected a total of 45 different bacteria from frogs, newts and lizards. Of these, nine showed good ability to fight cancer. The most striking bacteria was Ewingella americana, from the Japanese tree frog.
What did this bacteria do?
With just one dose, the tumors in the mice completely disappeared.
Even when the cancer cells were reintroduced 30 days later, no tumors formed over the next month.
This bacteria works in two ways…
It attacks the tumor directly
It strengthens the body’s immune system – activating T cells, B cells and neutrophils.
Oxygen levels are low in tumors, where chemotherapy drugs are less effective. But this bacteria works well even in such low oxygen environment.
Also read: Which came first the chicken or the egg? A scientific answer to this old puzzle has been found.
Security and comparison
In mice, this bacteria was quickly cleared from the blood.
It proved to be more effective than the existing chemotherapy drug doxorubicin.
It had no long-term side effects, and it did not affect healthy organs.
Scientists said that this bacteria could be a safe option for clinical trials.
this is just the beginning
This discovery has so far been made only on rats. More tests are needed to find out whether it will work in humans or not. Scientists now want to test it on other types of cancer. They want to test it by mixing it with other medicines and are looking for better ways to deliver the medicine. Safety is the biggest concern, as Ewingella americana can cause infections in humans. Therefore, great care has to be taken in clinical trials. Currently, a bacterial therapy is already being used in the treatment of bladder cancer. Amphibians like frogs may provide new cancer drugs in the future. Scientists said that there are still a lot of hidden medicines in nature’s biodiversity. We have to save it so that we can keep discovering new medicines. This research has been published in the journal ‘Gut Microbes’. This discovery has given new hope to cancer patients.