Bioengineered gum lowers HPV and harmful oral bacteria, offering a promising new approach for cancer prevention and treatment.
Researchers led by Henry Daniell of the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
report that extracts from a bioengineered chewing gum can significantly lower levels of three microbes associated with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC). The results, published in Scientific Reports, point to a potential low-cost and accessible treatment approach.
HNSCC is a widespread cancer that forms in the tissues lining the mouth and throat. It is often aggressive and linked to poor outcomes, particularly when detected late, Daniell explains. He adds that many recently approved cancer drugs have done little to improve quality of life or five-year survival, highlighting the need for new treatment strategies.
The team built on earlier research involving chewing gum made from lablab beans (bean gum) that contains FRIL, a protein with natural antiviral properties. They analyzed oral samples from patients with HNSCC to measure levels of three cancer-associated microbes: human papilloma virus, or HPV, along with two types of bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) and Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn).
Gum Therapy Cuts HPV and Harmful Oral Bacteria
“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.”
Tests showed that extracts from the bean gum reduced HPV levels by 93% in saliva and by 80% in oral rinse samples. After adding protegrin, an antimicrobial peptide that targets harmful bacteria, a single dose brought Pg and Fn levels close to zero while leaving beneficial oral bacteria intact.
This differs from radiation therapy, which reduces helpful bacteria and can increase disease-causing yeast (Candida albicans).
“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,” says Daniell. “Our findings support the value of advancing these therapies to clinical trials as adjuvants with current treatments or as prophylaxis to prevent infection and transmission.”
Reference: “Ex vivo HNSCC clinical studies using saliva and antiviral or antibacterial chewing gums reveal reduction in carcinogenic microbes” by Henry Daniell, Geetanjali Wakade, Rahul Singh, Smruti Nair, Saroj K. Basak, Eri S. Srivatsan, Andrés M. Bur, Sufi M. Thomas and Marilene B. Wang, 9 February 2026, Scientific Reports.
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-39062-w
This work was supported by NIH (grant 5-R01-HL 107904-13 awarded to Henry Daniell), the Academic Senate Grant of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (the Surgical Education Research Program), and the National Cancer Institute Cancer Center (Support Grant P30 CA168524).
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