Cancer-Causing Bacteria Wreak Havoc With Tumor-Suppressor Protein

Researchers have discovered a mechanism by which Helicobacter pylori, the only known cancer-causing bacterium, disables a tumor suppressor protein

Researchers have discovered a mechanism by which Helicobacter pylori, the only known cancer-causing bacterium, disables a tumor suppressor protein in host cells.

The new study, in the journal Oncogene, reports the discovery of a previously unknown mechanism linking H. pylori infection and stomach cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.

Scientists Sequence Genome of Amerindian Strain of the Gastric Bug, Helicobacter Pylori
The genome of an Amerindian strain of the gastric bug Helicobacter pylori has been sequenced by scientists.

About two-thirds of the world's population is infected with H. pylori, a bacterium that can survive in the harsh environment of the stomach. Most infected people never develop disease. For a significant minority, however, infection with H. pylori leads to inflammation, ulcers and in some cases, stomach (gastric) cancer.

H. pylori's ability to cause disease is closely associated with a virulence protein called CagA. Previous studies have found that CagA-positive strains are much more likely to cause inflammation and spur the abnormal cell division and growth of cells that lead to cancer.

H. pylori injects CagA into the epithelial cells that line the stomach. Within the cells, CagA is able to hijack various signaling pathways and disrupt proper cellular functions.

Lactobacillus Found to be Effective in Treating Helicobacter Pylori Infected Gastritis
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are considered to be the most important etiological agents of chronic gastritis.

Other studies have identified RUNX3 (pronounced RUNKS-three) as an important gastric cancer tumor suppressor.

Loss of expression of RUNX3 is causally associated with the development of gastric cancer, said University of Illinois medical biochemistry professor Lin-Feng Chen, who led the study. RUNX3 guards against tumor formation by spurring the production of factors that target unhealthy cells for destruction.

Helicobacter Pylori Eradication Therapy may be Able to Prevent Gastric Cancer?
Although it has been demonstrated that Helicobacter pylori causes gastric cancer, it is still controversial that whether H.

IMAGE: University of Illinois medical biochemistry professor Lin-Feng Chen and his colleagues discovered a mechanism directly linking a protein associated with H. pylori infection of the stomach and stomach cancer....
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Source-Eurekalert