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VIDEO: Expert discusses H. pylori-associated gastric cancer mechanisms, research
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SAN FRANCISCO — Keith T. Wilson, MD, from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, discusses his keynote lecture on Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric carcinogenesis, which he delivered at the Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.
“About half of the world is infected with this bacteria … which actually may have co-evolved with humans, and our thinking is that when there’s a mismatch of the host and bacterial genetics, this leads to increased risk for cancer,” Wilson said. “My laboratory has been focusing on mechanisms whereby the bacteria persists in the stomach through dysregulated immune response, and as a consequence of this faulty immune response, there’s a chronic inflammation. This inflammation can be destructive, it can lead to risk for cancer because of many pathways that are activated that lead to cellular damage and, specifically, DNA damage.”
Disclosure: Wilson reports no relevant financial disclosures.