UI release (edited)
03/10/23
A new study conducted by UI researchers with the lab of associate professor of pathology Ashutosh Mangalam PhD explores a potential link between gut bacteria and breast cancer.
Mangalam, who is also a member of the university’s Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, says while some genetic and environmental risk factors for breast cancer are known, they don’t tell the whole story. In a release from University of Iowa Health Care, Dr. Mangalam says, “Like we have previously found with multiple sclerosis, this study supports that promoting the development of healthy gut microbiota could provide health benefits for patients with breast cancer.”
The gut’s ecosystem of natural bacteria, or “microbiome,” plays an important role in our health. Good bacteria break down food, produce vitamins and other nutrients, and can even enhance our immune system.
Bad bacteria, however, can disrupt the microbiome and possibly contribute to the development of disease. Data gained from studying the relationship between the microbiome and states of health and disease is limited by the fact that people’s microbiomes can differ significantly based on where they live.
Mangalam’s team looked at data from breast cancer patients from the Midwest and found that people with breast cancer had different levels and types of bacteria compared to healthy people.
The study concludes that further investigation of the link between breast cancer and gut bacteria could lead to new methods for early screening and diagnosis of breast cancer.