A common skin fungus that causes dandruff could be a cause of breast cancer, according to a new discovery linking a microscopic organism to certain types of the disease.
Chinese scientists have discovered that Malassezia globosa, a yeast-like fungus, can infiltrate fatty breast tissue and from there increase the risk of tumor development.
According to doctors, it is still unclear how the fungus does this.
However, they suspected it could also be due to a harmful byproduct that damages cells or destroys the body’s natural defenses against cancerous tissue.
In tests on mice, breast cancer tissue experts injected Malassezia globosa into the tumors to observe the effects.
Chinese scientists have discovered that Malassezia globosa, a type of yeast-like fungus, can infiltrate fatty breast tissue and from there increase the risk of developing the disease.
They found that the species colonized by the fungus had a higher growth rate, although exactly how much faster or larger they grew was not reported.
According to study author Professor Qi-Ming Wang, an expert in life sciences at Hebei University, the findings have implications for people’s health.
“It is important to take care of your skin not only for your beauty, but also for your health,” he said.
He added that this is not the first time a microscopic organism has been linked to cancer, and that more research is needed on the subject.
“Although still controversial, the relationship between microbes and cancer is gaining increasing attention,” he said.
‘A disturbed balance in the tumor microflora can lead to disorder in the tumor microenvironment.’
While Malassezia globosa can cause problems elsewhere such as dandruff on the scalp and dermatitis, swelling and irritation of the skin, Professor Wang says it is unclear exactly how the plant may reach the breast tissue and increase the risk of breast cancer.
The results were published in the journal mBio.
Other studies have previously shown that certain microorganisms carry an increased risk of certain types of cancer.
One of these is Fusobacterium nucleatum, a bacterium that lives in dental plaque. This could explain why some intestinal tumors are so difficult to treat.
American researchers discovered that a specific subtype of the bacteria was present in tumor tissue in about 50 percent of cancer cases.
They also found this microbe in higher numbers in stool samples from patients with colorectal cancer than in stool samples from healthy people.
Another bacterium, Streptococcus anginosus, has also been linked to stomach cancer.
Chinese and Singaporean scientists have shown that bacteria normally found in the throat, mouth and vagina can promote the growth of stomach cancer.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with almost 56,000 cases diagnosed each year
Experiments similar to the new study found that Streptococcus anginosus could colonize new parts of the body, such as the stomach, in mice with weakened immune systems that mimicked infection or disease.
When administered in this way, it caused an inflammatory response that could fuel cancer growth.
Another type of bacteria, Helicobacter pylori, is also known to cause stomach ulcers, increasing the risk of stomach cancer. This is the fifth most common type in the world.
Perhaps the best-known microorganism associated with cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV).
HPV is a virus that is often spread through sexual activity and usually does not cause symptoms. However, some viruses are associated with an increased risk of various cancers, including vulvar and cervical cancer.
This is partly why people in the UK are now offered the HPV vaccination at secondary school.