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Updated: Nov 3, 2025

Characterization and Functional Prediction of Bacteria in Ovarian Tissues
Published on: October 23, 2021
Viruses and Bacteria Associated with Cancer: An Overview
Davide Zella1, Robert C Gallo2
1Institute of Human Virology and Global Virus Network Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Abstract:
There are several human viruses and bacteria currently known to be associated with cancer. A common theme indicates that these microorganisms have evolved mechanisms to hamper the pathways dedicated to maintaining the integrity of genetic information, preventing apoptosis of the damaged cells and causing unwanted cellular proliferation. This eventually reduces the ability of their hosts to repair the damage(s) and eventually results in cellular transformation, cancer progression and reduced response to therapy. Our data suggest that mycoplasmas, and perhaps certain other bacteria with closely related DnaKs, may also contribute to cellular transformation and hamper certain drugs that rely on functional p53 for their anti-cancer activity. Understanding the precise molecular mechanisms is important for cancer prevention and for the development of both new anti-cancer drugs and for improving the efficacy of existing therapies.
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