Reading time: 4 minutes Hannah Young Tiny microscopic bacterial communities that live within and on us are known as the human microbiome. Research linking the human microbiome to cancer has skyrocketed in the last two decades and has largely focused on the relationship between the microbiome of the digestive tract with stomach and intestinal cancer.... Continue Reading →
The Role of the Human Gut Microbiome in Pancreatic Cancer
Reading time: 5 minutes Aishat Motolani The incidence of pancreatic cancer is almost commensurate with its media mentions. As a fan of the wizarding world of the Harry Potter series and the quiz game show Jeopardy, the demise of Professor Snape and Alek Trebek came as a shock. "Neither a magic wand nor an encyclopedia... Continue Reading →
Does Bacterial Infection Lead to Increased Risk of Cancer?
Sohini Basu Roy Reading time: 3 minutes Every year 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections cases occur in the U.S. and more than 35,000 people die due to bacterial infection But one of the main challenges is a consequence resulting from the infection: weakened immune system. This leads to immunodeficiency and thus patients become more prone to... Continue Reading →
Connections between the gut and the brain: the key to reducing pain after chemotherapy?
Reading time: 5 minutes Kate Secombe Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a relatively common side-effect of some types of chemotherapy, affecting between 19 to 85% of people. It refers to a few different conditions involving damage to the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system sends signals back to the central nervous system (brain and... Continue Reading →
Bacterial Infection Is a Significant Cancer Risk Factor
Kedar Puvar Reading time: 3 minutes Much of the time, when scientists think of cancer-causing agents, they think of DNA damage. Indeed, some of the most infamous causes of cancer, such as excessive sunlight, tobacco smoke, or environmental pollutants, act by inducing mutations in key regions of our genes which can lead to effects such... Continue Reading →
Ulcers after Cancer Therapy – New Directions
Reading time: 5 minutes Kate Secombe Cancer treatment- it’s not fun! The treatment can take hours in the hospital, it makes you feel fatigued and has a range of difficult side-effects, including nausea, vomiting, hair loss, and memory problems. But today, I want to focus on one, in particular, mucositis, and look at the research... Continue Reading →
Immunotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer: Does Bacteria hold the answer?
Manisit Das Your gut is crawling with bacteria, despite your devoted hygiene practices. Disgusting for your sophisticated self, isn’t it? Surprising as it is, over the course of evolution our bodies tolerated the microbial communities in our body, even cherished them. Hundreds of thousands of bacteria and other microorganisms call us home and play a... Continue Reading →