This frog gut bacterium can eliminate tumors in mice
Scientists in Japan found a gut bacterium from the Japanese tree frog that wiped out colorectal tumors in every mouse tested—just with a single dose.
The treatment, using Ewingella americana, worked even better than standard cancer drugs like anti-PD-L1 and doxorubicin.
How does it pull this off?
The team screened bacteria from frogs, newts, and lizards, but E. americana stood out.
It quickly multiplied inside low-oxygen tumors and released toxins that killed cancer cells while sparing healthy ones.
Plus, it rallied immune cells to help finish the job.
Is it safe—and what's next?
Good news: the bacteria cleared from the mice's blood within a day and caused no lasting inflammation or organ damage over two months.
Researchers think this amphibian microbe could inspire new ways to target tough cancers like breast or pancreatic—using both direct attack and immune support.