Probiotics Protect Intestine in Mice
Posted 6 months ago by Soraya in General Health News
A new study from the University of Washington School of Medicine suggests probiotics could be given prior to to radiation therapy, in order to protect the intestine from damage. Damage to the intestines is common in cancer patients receiving radiation therapy for cancers of the cervix, bladder and in other abdominal cancers. The purpose of radiation is to kill cancer cells, but radiation can also kill healthy cells, leading to intestinal damage, and severe bouts of diarrhoea in many cases. At this stage radiation therapy is normally discontinued or lessened whilst the intestine heals. 'Probiotics may provide a way to protect the lining of the small intestine from some of that damage' Professor William F. Stenson has stated.
The probiotics in the study were a blend of Lactobacillus probiotics, including the strain L. rhamnosus GG, and were found to reduce injury to the epithelial cells lining the intestines in the mice.
Researchers believe it may be time to look into the use of probiotics pre-radiation therapy in human cancer patients. Whilst probiotics have been administered to patients post-radiation therapy in the hope that they could reduce diarrhoea, this would be the first research to administer probiotics to cancer patients in advance of radiation therapy.
OptiBac says: All fascinating research, for now this animal study does not provide enough evidence to recommend probiotics in cancer patients, but we look forward to seeing more research in this area.
References:
Ciorba, Ma., et al. Lactobacillus probiotic protects intestinal epithelium from radiation injury in a TLR2/cyclo-osygenase-2-dependent manner. Gut Journal. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2011-30067
http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/22982.aspx
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