Bacteria and Cancer: The Unseen Players.

In the shadowy corners of tumors, a microscopic world is at play. Scientists have become curious about the bacteria and other microbes that live within tumors. These microbes are hard to see without powerful tools, but they're there and doing something in the body. Tiny bacteria inside tumors can change how cancer starts, gets worse, and spreads. They can also change how well treatments work. We recently learned all this through a powerful technology called 16S rRNA sequencing, which lets us spy on these microbes. Now, let's talk about the origins of these microbes and how they change. Imagine a tiny ecosystem inside a tumor. There are many types of bacteria and other microbes. Some tumors have one type, and others have many. They can be different from your skin or gut microbes. These microbes are interesting as they can affect cancer in many ways. Some start a chain of reactions leading cancer. Some microbes can damage DNA, change the way genes work, and trigger inflammation. All of these can lead to cancer. Imagine they are tiny puppeteers, pulling strings to make cancer happen. But that's not all. These microbes can also change how the body's defense system works. This can be bad news. The immune system tries to fight cancer. But these microbes can hide from the immune system and even help cancer grow new blood vessels, which cancer needs to spread. In other words, microbes can let cancer live and spread! They can even make cancer more resistant to drugs and make them fake dying! Now what? Researchers are dreaming up new treatments using microbes. These can turn microbes into tiny weapons against cancer. For example, scientists are trying to use engineered bacteria and viruses to fight cancer. The goal is to boost the immune system and make treatments work better. Microbes in tumors are a hot topic. They offer new ways to understand and treat cancer. By studying these tiny players, we can find new treatments and maybe even cure cancer.