Good Bacteria can Reduce Chemotherapeutic Toxins in Cancer Patients

May, 2021 - By SMI

The good bacteria can reduce normal gut microbiome effects by breaking chemical drugs used in chemotherapy.

Bacteria plays an important role in the functioning of our intestinal system. Presence of the gut microflora enables us variety of functions from digestion to the production essential vitamins and minerals. They also help in enhancing the function of other bacteria colonizing in our gut. These specific gut microorganisms for obvious reasons are also called as good bacteria.

A new study in northwestern University claimed that few specific gut microorganism, has the ability to control as well as shield other good microorganisms during cancer treatment. Shielding effect includes mitigation of harmful changes that the chemotherapeutic drug can induce during its exposure in a patient body. Thus neutralizing both short as well as long term side effects of chemotherapy.

The researchers are expecting that their findings can effectively lead to the synthesis of new nutritional supplements that will improve the intestinal condition of the cancer patients. In many cases of juvenile cancer it is seen that the chemotherapy induces a lot of complications like mainly- diabetes, obesity and asthma. This discovery will definitely help to improve metabolic condition of the patients suffering from pediatric cancer.

Bioremediation is one of the most common feature associated with several microorganisms. And this aspect of the microbes has been used by several environment conservationist to control different types of pollution. Inspired by that fact scientists associated it with the toxic chemotherapeutic effect of the cancer in a patient’s body. Chemical drugs are able to induce certain metabolic changes in the body that causes the normal gut microbiome to act in an opportunistic way. However confirmed evidences has been found that the “good bacteria” can reduce such effects by breaking such chemical drugs used in chemotherapy. Bacterial strains like Klebsiella pneumonia and Escherichia coli are good at disrupting the function of the chemical agents like doxorubicin.  Although research results are very promising indeed for the protection of cancer patients. A lot of work has been left to eventually make it a reality.