Research suggests that ‘pathogenic’ salmonella may actually help fight bowel cancer

Studies have shown that Salmonella bacteria can help fight colon cancer and stop the body’s immune cells from attacking the disease.

Experts have long known that salmonella – which can cause food poisoning – can help in the fight cancerbut when used in therapies it did not prove to be as effective as expected.

But now a study has shown that salmonella can be modified so that T cells – a type of white blood cell that protects the body against infection and disease – kill cancer cells.

Using mice, the research team found that salmonella typically stops T cells from fighting cancer cells because it depletes an amino acid called asparagine.

Dr Alastair Copland, first author of the study and a research fellow in immunology at the University of Birmingham, said the research could “turn a disease-causing bacterium such as salmonella into one that fights cancer”.

He said: “One long-standing mystery is why T cells, which are crucial in fighting cancer, do not function optimally during this treatment.

“We have now identified the protein responsible and an exciting genetic target that could help us unlock the full potential of this therapy.”

Dr Catherine Elliott, director of research at Cancer Research UK, which funded the study, said the research was an “exciting” development and could lead to “more effective treatments for patients with bowel and other cancers in the future, giving hope to patients “.

There are over 44,000 new cases of bowel cancer in the UK each year, making it the fourth most common.

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Salmonella can be found in the intestines of many animals, including chickens, cows and pigs.

It can contaminate foods such as eggs, chicken and pork, as well as fruits and vegetables that have been in contact with farm animals or manure.

In the case of salmonella infection, symptoms include diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and fever and usually develop within 12 to 72 hours and last four to seven days.

The study was published in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine.