Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a bioengineered chewing gum capable of reducing levels of the human papillomavirus (HPV) by up to 93% in saliva samples. The product also nearly eliminated two bacteria associated with head and neck cancer, according to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports.
The research, led by Henry Daniell from the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, tested gum extracts on oral samples from patients. The results showed a 93% reduction in HPV levels in saliva and an 80% reduction in mouth rinses.
The gum is made from lablab bean gum and contains FRIL, a natural antiviral protein. The researchers also modified it to include protegrin, an antimicrobial peptide capable of killing harmful bacteria.
A single dose of the gum reduced the bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) and Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) to nearly zero, both linked to head and neck cancer. The treatment did not affect beneficial bacteria in the mouth, unlike radiotherapy, which reduces these bacteria and favors the growth of Candida albicans.
Head and neck cancer, especially squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), is aggressive and has a poor prognosis when diagnosed late. Daniell highlights that many recently approved drugs have not significantly improved patients’ quality of life or five-year survival.
‘The global increase in oropharyngeal cancer is linked to HPV infection,’ says Daniell. ‘And Pg and Fn infections worsen survival rates for untreated recurrent or metastatic oral cancer, even after surgery and adjuvant therapies.’
The ability to target dangerous microbes while preserving the healthy oral microbiome could make the gum useful as an adjunct to current treatments or as a preventive measure against infection and transmission. ‘Lip and oral cavity cancer was the seventh most common cancer in incidence and mortality worldwide in 2022, among adolescents, young adults, and middle-aged adults,’ adds Daniell.
The researchers argue that the results support advancing these therapies to clinical trials, as adjuvants to current treatments or as prophylaxis. The study was supported by the NIH, the Academic Senate Grant from UCLA, and the National Cancer Institute Cancer Center.
The research was published in Scientific Reports under the title ‘Ex vivo HNSCC clinical studies using saliva and antiviral or antibacterial chewing gums reveal reduction in carcinogenic microbes’. The authors include researchers from Penn Dental Medicine, the University of Kansas Medical Center, UCLA, and the Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.
The bioengineered chewing gum represents a promising and potentially more accessible approach to combating microbes linked to head and neck cancer, paving the way for new therapeutic and preventive strategies.