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Tuesday, March 3 2026

Amphibian gut bacteria showing promise in cancer research

By kingsnake.com
Tue, March 3 2026 at 02:44

A Japanese tree frog ( Dryophytes japonicus ). They are arboreal frogs, active from spring to autumn, and hibernate underground in winter. © Yorozu Kitamura | Dreamstime.com

There are so many ways that reptiles and amphibians give back to humanity and here is another amazing one. Are you on a GLP1? Thank a gila. Cancer research and blood pressure meds are using venom, however, this is a new approach!
Gut bacteria of several amphibians is being studied for potential benefits related to cancer research; the Japanese tree frog, Dryophytes japonicus, appears to have a beneficial bacterium, Ewingella americana, hanging out in their intestines!

In a mouse colorectal cancer model, a single intravenous administration of E. americana achieved complete tumor elimination with a 100% complete response (CR) rate. This dramatically surpasses the therapeutic efficacy of current standard treatments, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (anti-PD-L1 antibody) and liposomal doxorubicin (chemotherapy agent).
...
This research demonstrates that unexplored biodiversity represents a treasure trove for novel medical technology development and holds promise for providing new therapeutic options for patients with refractory cancers.

The article breaks down exactly how E. americana works to breakdown the cancer and fight it. Let's hope trials continue and this opens an amazing avenue of treatment and a positive outcome for many with this cancer. To read more about the study and access it, click here.

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