Researchers are investigating the function of gut bacteria in breast cancer, and how we could use it to fight against the disease, thanks to new funding from Breast Cancer Now. Bacteria living in our gut can affect our immune system and previous research in other cancers has shown a connection between healthier gut bacteria and better overall outcomes for patients. When breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it becomes incurable.
Cancerous cells can spread in many different ways, including by manipulating the immune system to prevent being killed. Breast Cancer Now has awarded £249,065 to Dr Stephen Robinson at the Quadram Institute to study the composition and function of the gut bacteria in oestrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer. Up to 80% of women with the disease are diagnosed with ER-positive breast cancer, making it the most common type of breast cancer.
Stool samples will be taken from women who have recently been diagnosed with ER-positive breast cancer and are yet to begin treatment. Further samples will then be taken from the same women at various stages, such as during and after treatment, to see how gut bacteria changes during the course of the disease. The team will compare samples from people who respond well to treatment to people who don’t, to analyze any differences in their gut bacteria and see if it’s possible to predict the outcome of treatment based on this information.
Using mice, the researchers will also investigate how gut bact.
