{"id":2000121591,"date":"2026-08-07T11:06:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T09:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/?p=2000121591"},"modified":"2026-08-07T11:27:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T09:27:49","slug":"bioengineered-chewing-gum-shows-promise-in-reducing-microbes-linked-to-head-and-neck-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/bioengineered-chewing-gum-shows-promise-in-reducing-microbes-linked-to-head-and-neck-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Bioengineered chewing gum shows promise in reducing microbes linked to head and neck cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The experimental gum was created by scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and was designed to target three microbes linked to the development and progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, one of the most common forms of head and neck cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In laboratory tests using saliva and oral rinse samples from patients, the researchers found that the gum reduced levels of human papillomavirus (HPV) by up to 93% in saliva and by about 80% in oral rinse samples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Persistent infection with certain high-risk types of HPV has been linked to several cancers, including cancers of the throat and mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scientists also enhanced the chewing gum with an antimicrobial peptide known as protegrin-1. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This addition nearly eliminated two harmful bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum which have been associated with poorer outcomes in patients with head and neck cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the study’s notable findings was that the gum had little effect on beneficial bacteria that naturally live in the mouth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is significant because some cancer treatments, such as radiation therapy, can disrupt the normal oral microbiome, increasing the risk of other infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the researchers, the bioengineered gum is made from lablab beans, which contain a naturally occurring antiviral protein called FRIL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team believes combining this protein with protegrin-1 creates a locally delivered therapy capable of targeting both viruses and harmful bacteria in the mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the encouraging findings, the researchers stressed that the gum is still in the early stages of development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The results were obtained from laboratory analyses of patient samples rather than human clinical trials, meaning the product is not yet approved as a treatment or preventive measure for cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team hopes future clinical trials will determine whether the chewing gum can safely be used alongside existing therapies or as a preventive approach to reduce the spread of cancer-associated microbes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If successful, the innovation could provide an affordable and non-invasive way to support oral health and potentially lower the risk of head and neck cancers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Researchers have created chewing gum that targets HPV and bacteria linked to head and neck cancer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A team of researchers has developed a bioengineered chewing gum that could one day help reduce harmful microbes associated with head and neck cancer, offering a potential new tool to complement existing treatments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":139,"featured_media":2000121592,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[151,69],"byline":[201],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000121591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-editors-choice","tag-homehighlights","byline-rania-umutoni"],"bylines":[{"id":201,"name":"Rania Umutoni","slug":"rania-umutoni","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":139}],"contributors":[{"id":201,"name":"Rania Umutoni","slug":"rania-umutoni","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":139}],"featured_image":{"id":2000121592,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/ChatGPT-Image-Aug-5-2026-05_09_46-PM.png","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/png","width":1672,"height":941,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/ChatGPT-Image-Aug-5-2026-05_09_46-PM.png","width":1672,"height":941},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/ChatGPT-Image-Aug-5-2026-05_09_46-PM.png","width":1672,"height":941},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/ChatGPT-Image-Aug-5-2026-05_09_46-PM.png","width":1672,"height":941},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/ChatGPT-Image-Aug-5-2026-05_09_46-PM.png","width":1672,"height":941},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/ChatGPT-Image-Aug-5-2026-05_09_46-PM.png","width":1672,"height":941}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000121591","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/139"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000121591"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000121591\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000121724,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000121591\/revisions\/2000121724"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000121592"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000121591"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000121591"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000121591"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000121591"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000121591"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}