Newly discovered stomach bacteria could contribute to cancer research

Researchers from the University of Gothenburg, among others, have discovered a different type of bacteria responsible for stomach cancer. The hope is that this alternative could increase understanding of why certain bacteria increase the risk of disease.

Helicobacter pylori It is a bacteria that infects the human stomach. I have done so since the talk man They were developed in Africa, and about half of the world's population carries these bacteria. The vast majority never notice they have it, but for some, chronic inflammation leads to stomach ulcers and, in the worst cases, to stomach cancer, a disease that kills nearly a million people annually.

Record-breaking study

– Stomach infections can be treated with antibiotics, but because the bacteria are so widespread, it is not possible to treat everyone with them. Therefore, we need to understand more about which bacterial properties increase the risk of stomach cancer, says Kaisa Thorel, an associate lecturer at the University of Gothenburg and one of the lead authors of a new, record-breaking study of stomach cancer. Helicobacter pylori Which has now been published in the journal Nature.

In this study, the genomes of stomach bacteria from about 9,000 people from around the world were mapped to investigate the spread of the bacteria. During the analysis, a new species of bacteria that had not been previously described was discovered.

The new type of bacteria has other characteristics, for example, it seems to attach to cells in the stomach in a different way than the previously known type. Kaysa Thorell says this type is now most common among indigenous people in America and North Asia.

Specialized for carnivores?

The authors' hypothesis is that the new species is intended to live in the stomachs of humans whose diet consists mainly of meat or fish. The reason is the bacteria's gene pool and that it is closely related to stomach bacteria that infect large carnivorous cats, such as lions.

– But we believe that this change has occurred in more places on Earth where we can show that it evolved even before humans migrated out of Africa. Our analysis shows that both variants have accompanied humans since our species appeared in Africa more than 200,000 years ago. If the newly discovered variant is adapted to carnivores, it would indicate that people who migrated from Africa had limited access to food from the plant kingdom.

It lives in the stomach for decades

The researchers named the newly discovered variant of… Helicobacter pylori To “hardy” as in difficult living conditions. Indigenous people living with this bacterial type live in places where, during large parts of the year, there is a shortage of plant foods such as fruits, berries and vegetables, which reduces the risk of stomach cancer.

– Bacteria It can live in our stomachs for decades, in constant, constant interaction with the human immune system, which can lead to stomach diseases. What amazes me is that the hardy species seems to have a completely different strategy for interacting with its host. We will now go further and study the “hardy bacteria” in detail, which could give us new insight into the development of stomach diseases, including the often fatal stomach cancer, says Caisa Thorel.

Scientific article in nature: Paleoenvironmental species of Helicobacter pylori

communication: Kaisa Thorell, Assistant Lecturer, Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Tel: 070-321 29 46, Email: [email protected]

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Olof Lonehead
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University of Gothenburg
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