Researchers have made a special chewing gum that can attack germs tied to mouth and throat cancers. When they tested gum extracts on saliva from patients, the gum sharply lowered one virus and two bacteria that help the disease grow.
The work was led by Henry Daniell at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Dental Medicine. Their results appeared in the journal Scientific Reports and could lead to cheaper, easier cancer helpers.
A Need for Better Cancer Helpers
Head‑and‑neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) starts in the lining of the mouth or throat. It often spreads fast, and many people find it late, so the outlook is poor.
New drugs have not made big jumps in survival or quality of life, so scientists are looking for fresh ideas that work with current treatments.
Targeting HPV and Bad Bacteria
The new gum builds on earlier work that used bean‑derived gum (from lablab beans). The gum naturally contains FRIL, a protein that fights viruses.
Using samples from HNSCC patients, the team focused on three trouble‑making microbes: the human papillomavirus (HPV) and two bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) and Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn).
"HPV infections are rising worldwide and boost throat cancers," said Daniell. "Pg and Fn make survival worse for patients whose cancer comes back or spreads, even after surgery and extra therapies."
Gum Extracts Cut Microbe Levels
In saliva tests, the bean gum lowered HPV by 93%. In mouth‑wash samples, HPV fell by about 80%.
The scientists then added protegrin, a tiny peptide that kills bad bacteria. One dose nearly wiped out Pg and Fn.
Importantly, the treatment left the good bacteria that normally live in the mouth untouched. This is different from radiation, which can kill helpful microbes and let harmful yeast grow.
Possible New Cancer Helper
Because the gum can strike harmful germs without harming friendly ones, it might be used together with existing cancer therapies or even as a preventive measure.
"Oral cancers were the seventh most common cancer type worldwide in 2022," said Daniell. "Our data support moving this gum into clinical trials as an extra therapy or as a way to stop infection and spread."