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| Dr Mutsa Madonda completed his PhD with Prof Magdalena Plebanski and is now a post doc in her lab. |
Monash University researchers are part of an international collaboration that has identified two intestinal bacteria as being potentially important in the effectiveness of anti-cancer medication.
The researchers found that the compound Cyclophosphamide (CTX), used in chemotherapy, relies on Enterococcus hirae and Barnesiella intestinihominis for its efficacy in countering tumours.
Their study, published in the journal Immunity, shows that the two gut bacteria changed the tumour microenvironment, activating T cells and helping the body fight cancer cells. More specifically, they reduced regulatory T cells and stimulated anti-tumour Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) responses.
