Tackling the Cancer-Causing Stomach Bug

Researchers in the Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre Biomedical Research Unit (run jointly by the University and NHS) have been awarded nearly £216,000 by Cancer Research UK to investigate how some strains of the bacterium ‘Helicobacter pylori’ can produce a potent toxin which can potentially cause the pre-cancerous changes which underlie stomach cancer. Often picked up in childhood the bacteria lives in the stomach throughout peoples’ lives unless treated. Many will have no symptoms from it; however in some people the inflammation caused by the bacterium can lead to ulcers or cancer in later life. The ultimate aim of this research is to identify the particular strains of the Helicobacter pylori bacterium which tend to cause cancer so that people carrying these strains can be given antibiotics to get rid of the infection.

Leading the research, Professor of Gastroenterology, John Atherton said: “Helicobacter pylori is in fact the main cause of stomach cancer, the second biggest contributor to cancer deaths worldwide. This piece of research is vital because if the cancer-causing strains of the bacterium can be identified, and we can understand how they predispose to cancer, then we are hopeful that we can eventually prevent this killer disease by targeted
antibiotic treatment.”

Dr Julie Sharp, Science Information Manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “We’re very pleased to be supporting this work. About half the world’s population is infected with H-pylori but how chronic H-pylori infection
influences cells in the stomach to turn cancerous is not fully understood. Infection rates are particularly high in poor countries, so anything we can do to prevent the onset of cancer in people with H-pylori is hugely important work, and we await the results of this research project with interest.“