Video: LSU Researcher Says Infectious Bacteria May Offer Hope for Untreatable Cancer
June 03, 2024
LSU Biological Sciences Professor Roger Laine
Bacteria that cause strep throat and hospital-acquired infections could play a role in treating inoperable tumors that resist radiation and chemotherapy, according to research by an LSU biological sciences professor.
Professor Roger Laine of LSU is working on a treatment involving two polysaccharides, also known as carbohydrates, that are isolated from bacteria and used to target the blood vessels that allow a tumor to grow. Targeting the blood vessels instead of the tumor itself means the tumor can't develop resistance as it often does with traditional drugs.
The treatment has shown some success, including in tests on mice, though more research is needed. The potential implications of Laine’s research are profound. More than 10 million people worldwide die of cancer every year, 600,000 of them in the United States.
“One of the top priorities of LSU’s Scholarship First Agenda is ensuring that Louisiana residents have access to premier cancer care and research" Robert Twilley, LSU vice president of research and economic development. “Dr. Laine’s work is a great example of how our faculty and expertise can address a major health issue.”
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