The bacteria of the cavity can invisibly destroy the stomach
Stomach cancer is often called a silent killer, as it develops for years without obvious symptoms until it’s too late. This disease ranks fifth in the list of the most common oncological diagnoses in the world and annually claims hundreds of thousands of lives. For a long time, doctors could not accurately predict who exactly was at risk, but now the situation has changed. The Duke-NUS Medical School has joined forces with colleagues from six countries to analyze a huge amount of data and find the root causes of the disease. It turned out that it’s not just nutrition that’s to blame, but also a complex combination of factors: from random mutations in the blood to smoking habits and even bacteria living in the oral cavity. The authors of the project found out exactly how inflammation turns into a tumor and, most importantly, found a potential way to stop this process using an existing drug.
The path to oncology usually begins with chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane. Over time, normal stomach cells begin to change and become similar to intestinal cells. This condition is called intestinal metaplasia. In itself, it is not yet a cancer, but it serves as a wake-up call.
The problem was that the doctors did not understand which of the patients with metaplasia would develop further and which would stop the process. To fill this gap, an international team collected more than one and a half thousand tissue samples. This scale made it possible to compare genetic changes in people from different parts of the world and identify common patterns.
In-depth DNA analysis revealed 47 genes in which mutations are particularly common. The ARID1A gene attracted special attention: breakdowns in it are clearly associated with a high risk of tumor development and a poor prognosis for the patient.
In addition, experts have discovered a specific type of DNA damage called SBS17. It is absent in a healthy stomach, but is often found in altered tissues. This trace indicates oxidative stress, a condition where aggressive molecules destroy cells from the inside. It turned out that smoking significantly enhances this process, literally adding fuel to the fire and accelerating the development of pathology.
Another important discovery was the link between stomach cancer and changes in blood. With age, people may develop clonal hematopoiesis, a process in which blood stem cells accumulate mutations and begin to multiply uncontrollably, which weakens the immune system.
A weakened immune system opens the gates to infections. Tests have shown that such patients have an increased number of Streptococcus bacteria in their stomachs, which usually live in their mouths. It turns out to be a double blow: mutated blood cells reduce the body’s defenses, and bacteria provoke chronic inflammation, creating an ideal environment for tumor growth.
The most encouraging part of the report was the information about possible treatment. During the tests, it turned out that the drug pyrvinium, which has long been used to fight parasites, is able to suppress the growth of dangerous intestinal metaplasia cells.
Doctors may have a tool not only to diagnose, but also to prevent cancer at an early stage. The team is now planning clinical trials to test the effectiveness of the therapy in humans. If everything goes well, medicine will receive a powerful weapon against a disease that has been considered one of the most difficult to treat for decades.
Published
January, 2026
Category
Medicine
Duration of reading
3-4 minutes
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Source
Scientific Journal Cancer Discovery. Article: Mutational Signatures and Clonal Hematopoiesis in Intestinal Metaplasia across Countries with Varying Stomach Cancer Incidence
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