New Links Found Between Bacteria and Cancer

Shipud writes "A recent study by a group at the University of Maryland School of Medicine shows that bacterial DNA gets transferred to human cells, in a process known as lateral gene transfer, or LGT. LGT is known to occur quite commonly between bacteria, including bacteria of different species. In fact, that is how antibiotic resistance is transferred so quickly. The team has shown that certain types of tumor cells acquire bacterial DNA that may play a role in tumor progression. Another group at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill has shown that gut inflammation leads to a radical change in the microbial population there, which encourages growth of E. coli that can disrupt the inflamed cells' DNA, leading to cancer. Both studies enable us to ask new questions such as: how does inflammation change the landscape for bacterial colonization? Can bacteria indeed harness inflammation — and then cancer — to flourish and remove competitors from their newly found ecosystem? And can we use this information to fight cancer?"

Comments

GMO's, any science fanboi still cheering?

[Jmc23]

More studies are showing that portions of dna that we eat get transcribed, some gets stored, that bacteria can swap out portions with our food, and that bacteria can exchange dna with us.

Isn't it about time we kill the evil child of US capitalism known as monsanto. After all, do we really need such risks just so we can dump more poison on top of our food? Only in the US could a business built on destruction, death, and poison become the 'caretaker' of the food industry, and the citizens don't care!

Re:So...

[Jmc23]

People getting old has nothing to do with what the US thinks age related diseases are. Here's a hint for you brainwashed person, 'age related' diseases are actually different from country to country. They aren't actually consequences of getting old! It depends on the specific type of damage that your diet and lifestyle causes.

Chemicals does mean something to people that aren't pedantic myopes without contextual abilities. Compare prosciutto and bacon. What's funny is how much additional chemicals people apply to their bodies to try and get rid of the stink as their body tries to process all the chemicals they ingest. Big money in chemicals.