
Bean-Gum Chewing Gum Targets Cancer-Linked Oral Microbes, Trials Ahead
Researchers have developed a chewing gum made from lablab bean proteins that could help fight head and neck cancer by reducing oral microbes linked to the disease. In ex vivo tests, the gum lowered HPV levels by about 93% in saliva, and when bioengineered to include an antimicrobial peptide, it nearly eliminated Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum without disturbing beneficial mouth bacteria. The approach targets infection locally at the site of cancer risk and could complement existing therapies. Trials are being planned in London and at the University of Pennsylvania in the U.S. to evaluate its effectiveness in HNSCC patients.






