Researchers have transformed an everyday habit into a potential medical innovation, with a new chewing gum showing remarkable results against microbes linked to head and neck cancer.
Our mouths are home to billions of microorganisms. Most are harmless, and many are essential for good health, but some have been linked to serious diseases when they become too dominant.
Scientists now believe controlling these microbes could become an important part of preventing and treating certain cancers, reports Science Daily.
That idea is driving a new study from the University of Pennsylvania, published in Scientific Reports.
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Rather than developing another conventional drug, researchers created a bioengineered chewing gum designed to reduce specific viruses and bacteria associated with head and neck cancer while leaving beneficial microbes largely untouched.
Beyond fresh breath
The research focuses on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, one of the world's most common cancers affecting the mouth and throat.
Although treatments have improved over the years, survival rates have changed only modestly, prompting scientists to investigate entirely different strategies.
Instead of targeting cancer cells directly, the team looked at microorganisms that have repeatedly been linked to disease progression.
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Among them were human papillomavirus (HPV) and the bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum, all of which have been associated with poorer outcomes in previous research.
Laboratory breakthrough
Using saliva and oral rinse samples from patients, the researchers found that the chewing gum reduced HPV levels by up to 93 percent.
A modified version of the gum also brought the two harmful bacterial species close to undetectable levels in laboratory testing.
Equally important was what the treatment did not do. Unlike some existing therapies that can disturb the mouth's natural microbiome, the experimental gum largely preserved beneficial bacteria, potentially reducing unwanted side effects.
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Still early days
The findings should not be seen as evidence that chewing gum can treat cancer. The experiments were carried out on patient samples in the laboratory, meaning clinical trials in humans will be needed before any medical use can be considered.
Even so, the researchers believe the technology could eventually become a low-cost addition to existing cancer care or even help reduce the transmission of cancer-linked infections if future studies confirm the early results.
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