In recent years, the link between the gut microbiota and cancer has garnered significant interest, with most research emphasizing indirect strategies like microbiome modulation or fecal microbiota transplantation. In a new study, researchers have identified a bacterium isolated from the intestines of Japanese tree frogs, that demonstrates extraordinarily potent anticancer effects.
The researchers identified nine bacterial strains with antitumor activity, with E. americana, isolated from Japanese tree frogs, exhibiting the most potent effects. Cancer rarely develops naturally in amphibians and reptiles, even in tough, pathogen-heavy environments. This rarity led the team to suspect that intestinal bacteria, not just the animals' own biology, might offer built-in tumor resistance and include strains with powerful medical applications.
This strain was administered to tumor-bearing mice via a single intravenous dose. Following injection, E. americana infiltrated the tumor microenvironment. It rapidly eradicated the cancer cells, and was subsequently cleared by the host immune system without persisting in healthy tissues, leaving behind long-term protective immunity.
It outperformed standard treatments such as immunotherapy and chemotherapy, while showing excellent safety with no colonization of healthy organs. This discovery highlights the untapped therapeutic potential of microbial biodiversity from amphibians and reptiles.
Researchers outlined the next phases of development as testing the bacterium's effectiveness against other solid tumors, including breast, pancreatic, and melanoma cancers, while optimizing delivery methods and administration strategies.
To view the original scientific study click below:
Discovery and characterization of antitumor gut microbiota from amphibians and reptiles: Ewingella americana as a novel therapeutic agent with dual cytotoxic and immunomodulatory properties
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