The Cancer Miracle Isn't a Cure. It's Prevention.
We cannot treat our way out of the rising trend in cancer cases. The only solution is a full-scale defense, so that nobody suffers the disease in the first place.
Researchers explore the link between the microbiome and public health
May 24, 2019 – The microbiome—the collection of trillions of microorganisms throughout the body that plays an important role in numerous diseases—represents a promising frontier in the world of public health. Although it’s a relatively new field of…
The future of cancer prevention (part 2)
In this episode, we speak to a scientist who is examining how our microbiome—the collection of trillions of microbes in and on our bodies—can affect the development of colon cancer.
Harvard Chan School awarded $4.9 million to create microbiome biobank
May 24, 2017— Scientists are just beginning to understand the many ways in which our microbiomes—the trillions of microbial organisms that live on and inside our bodies—influence a range of threats to human health including cancers, diabetes, heart…
Fusobacteria use a special sugar-binding protein to bind to colon tumors
For immediate release: August 10, 20116 Boston, MA — Some bacteria, called fusobacteria, commonly found in the mouth, use a sugar-binding protein to stick to developing colorectal polyps and cancers, according to a new study by researchers from…
Gut check: Shining a light on our bacteria’s role in disease
May 19, 2016 — Back when she was a high school athlete, Michelle Rooks, who will graduate with her PhD in biological sciences in public health later this month, saw how making changes to her diet could improve…
Special cells can “taste,” then help fight parasites in the gut
March 1, 2016 -- What spurs the human immune system into action when there’s a parasitic infection in the gut? A new study finds that special cells called tuft cells play a big role—by “tasting” the presence of intestinal…
Off the cuff: What can microbes teach us about cancer?
[ Fall 2014 ] Wendy Garrett, Associate Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases Wendy Garrett specializes in studying the human gut— the part of our anatomy that carries the greatest number of microbes—and the possible links between these…
Mouth bacteria may trigger bowel cancer
Coverage in the BBC, August 14, 2013, of study led by HSPH’s Wendy Garrett
Bacterial metabolites regulate immune system function in the colon and may help reduce inflammatory bowel disease
July 29, 2013 — Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers have discovered that chemicals generated by bacteria in the colon help important immune cells known as Tregs in the colon grow and function well. The researchers also found…
