DOHA: A recent study by a group of international researchers has discovered that controlling intestinal bacteria may affect response to cancer treatment.
These findings indicate that the environment within the human body plays a significant role in determining its response to medication. It is hoped that insights from this type of research will contribute to customized care aimed at enhancing the positive outcomes already predetermined by the body’s own environment.
Sidra Medical and Research Center’s Chief Research Officer Dr Francesco Marincola was a member of the research team.
“This study in animals helps pave the way to a better understanding of how and why different people respond to treatment in different ways. This randomness is usually attributed to genetic characteristics of the patient or of their tumours rather than environmental variables, which may play a much bigger role than is generally perceived. This study therefore addresses a very broad concept of environment over genetics in determining disease outcome, not only in cancer, but likely other diseases tied to the performance of the immune system,” said Dr Marincola.
The study looked at how the microbe population living in human intestines, known as “gut microbiota,” can influence inflammation and immunity both in the intestine and throughout the body. Researchers studied the effect that changes in the bacteria had on the mice’s response to cancer treatments. The study found that the mice’s ability to fight tumours decreased after antibiotics were introduced into their drinking water to kill intestinal bacteria.The Peninsula
