Probiotic Strains May Offer Treatment for Bladder Cancer

Probiotic Strains May Offer Treatment for Bladder Cancer

SINGAPORE--Lactobacillus species--a class ofso-called friendly bacteria--may have application in the treatment of bladdercancer, according to in vitro research out of the National University ofSingapore. The study, published in the November issue of The Journal ofUrology (168, 5:2236-9, 2002) (www.jurology.com),indicated that Lactobacillus species induce cell death among human bladdercancer cells more effectively than the Mycobacterium bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG),which is among the Mycobacterium class of bacteria that only lives in thepresence of oxygen. Researchers exposed two lines of human bladder cancercells--MGH and RT112--to Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) strain Shirota, Lactobacillusrhamnosus (L. rhamnosus) strain GG, or BCG in the presence and absence ofstreptomycin (an antibiotic).

L. rhamnosus GG inhibited proliferation of MGH and was cytotoxicto RT112 cells. L. casei Shirota was cytotoxic to both cell lines. BCG hadsimilar cytotoxic effects in MGH as the Lactobacillus species but was not aseffective in RT112 cells. Streptocycin off-set the cytotoxic effect of theLactobacillus species but not of BCG.

In their conclusion, researchers noted that like BCG, L. caseiShirota induced cell death primarily via necrosis (localized death of livingtissue). Researchers added that the cytotoxic effects of Lactobacilli in bladdercancer cells raises the possibility of using this species of bacteria in thetreatment of bladder cancer.