Patients with acid reflux, which occurs when stomach acid pushes up into the esophagus, know the symptoms all too well: heartburn, belching, chest pain and trouble swallowing. In addition to these ailments, acid reflux also increases the risk of esophageal cancer,\u00a0which has a five-year survival rate of about 22%, according to the American Cancer Society.\u00a0<\/p>\n
UCF College of Medicine Associate Professor Claudia Andl, a throat and oral cancer researcher, is investigating how a simple probiotic could treat and prevent both conditions. The research is funded by a one-year, more than $380,000 grant from the Florida Department of Health’s Florida Cancer Innovation Fund.<\/p>\n
Probiotics are live microorganisms – usually bacteria or yeasts – that support and strengthen health by increasing the body’s population of healthy cells. Many people take probiotics to improve gut health and digestion. Andl’s research is focused on using a healthy bacteria called\u00a0Lactobacillus spp.\u00a0to treat esophageal damage caused by acid reflux<\/a> and improve the microbial environment in the esophagus to reduce the risk of cancer.\u00a0<\/p>\n In patients with acid reflux – as well as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a chronic and more severe form of the digestive condition – stomach acid burns through the lining of the esophagus, causing inflammation<\/a> and DNA damage to surrounding cells. Over time, those cellular changes can create a condition called Barrett’s esophagus, which increases the risk for esophageal cancer. In addition, when the throat’s bacterial environment becomes dominated by stomach acids and salts, healthy bacteria struggle to survive. Harmful bacteria take their place, causing further cell damage and inflammation that increases cancer risk. Introducing\u00a0Lactobacillus spp.\u00a0into disease models has solved both issues.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The reintroduction of beneficial bacteria works two-fold. It restores a normal environment again, but also these\u00a0Lactobacilli\u00a0are known to suppress inflammation and repair the DNA damage.”<\/p>\n
Claudia Andl,\u00a0Associate Professor,\u00a0UCF College of Medicine<\/p>\n
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