While cancer itself is not contagious, the risk of contracting infections that lead to cancer later is fairly common. Some cancers begin in the tissues lining the mouth and throat, such as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). These are often associated with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) or some bacterial infection. A new chewing gum developed at the University of Pennsylvania might offer a new way to target these microbes.
Need for Better Therapies
Nearly 80% of Americans are likely to contract HPV at least once in their life, the virus spreading through intimate skin-to-skin contact. In most individuals, the immune system clears the virus before any symptoms appear. However, in a few cases, the virus survives in the host and leads to oral cancers and cancer in the genitalia.
The disease is quite aggressive, and if not detected until the later stages, outcomes are often poor. Henry Daniell of the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania notes that recently approved cancer medications have not yet produced major improvement in patients’ quality of life or five-year survival. Alternative approaches coupled with existing treatments might have a better shot at fighting the disease.
Cancers in the genitalia have greatly reduced since the universal rollout of the HPV vaccine in 2011. The picture isn’t as bright in the case of oral cancers, with data suggesting that the incidence of oral cancer has continued to rise, mainly among men.
Oral cancers are also caused by two bacterial species, Porphyromona gingivalis (Pg) and Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn). These bacteria thrive inside the mouth if oral hygiene is not maintained and can cause serious damage to the gums. Often, the damaged gums become a high-risk zone for cancer to appear. Habits like smoking and drinking can also contribute to gum damage and, eventually, cancer.
The Chewing Gum Contains Antiviral Protein
The chewing gum is made from lablab beans (Lablab purpureus), which contain a natural antiviral protein called FRIL. The same protein has been demonstrated to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus activity.
Daniell and his colleagues used oral samples from patients with HNSCC to study three microbes associated with cancer in HPV, Pg, and Fn infections. “The global increase in oropharyngeal cancer is linked to HPV infection,” says Daniell. “And Pg and Fn infections worsen survival rates of untreated recurrent or metastatic oral cancer, even after surgery and risk-adjusted adjuvant, or supplemental, therapies.”
Gum Extracts Dampen Microbe Levels
Tests using extracts from the bean gum lowered HPV levels by 93% in saliva samples and by 80% in oral rinse samples. The researchers then engineered the bean gum and added an antimicrobial peptide, protegrin, capable of killing harmful bacteria. Pg and Fn levels dropped to almost zero with this version of the gum.
The treatment outperforms radiation therapy because it targets just the harmful bacteria, allowing beneficial bacteria that normally reside in the mouth to thrive. Radiation therapy does not have any such bias, killing helpful bacteria during the treatment. This instead promotes the growth of disease-causing yeast (Candida albicans).
Potential Cancer Treatment in the Inventory
Since the therapy preserves the healthy oral microbiome, the gum can be useful as a preventive measure against infection and transmission without causing dysbiosis as antibiotics do. Researchers believe that the gum might serve as an additional therapy alongside current cancer treatments.
In fact, lip and oral cavity cancer was the seventh leading cancer type in cancer incidence and mortality rate worldwide in adolescents, young adults, and middle-aged adults in 2022, notes Daniell. Intimate contact, skin-to-skin or between mucous membranes, as during sexual activities, involves a huge proportion of youth, which makes having a chewing gum work as a prophylactic or preventive measure very important. The researchers believe that their findings support the value of advancing these therapies to clinical trials as adjuvants with existing treatment.
Reference:
Henry Daniell, Geetanjali Wakade, Rahul Singh, Smruti Nair, Saroj K. Basak, Eri S. Srivatsan, Andrés M. Bur, Sufi M. Thomas, Marilene B. Wang. Ex vivo HNSCC clinical studies using saliva and antiviral or antibacterial chewing gums reveal reduction in carcinogenic microbes. Scientific Reports, 2026; 16 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-39062-w
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