A tummy invader: This bacterial molecule may be key to fighting stomach cancer

Researchers found that H. pylori bacterial strains with low expression of a small RNA molecule called HPnc4160 are more likely to adapt to living in the human stomach. Gastric cancer patients have lower levels of HPnc4160, as well as higher levels of pathogenic bacterial proteins, than individuals without cancer. This work provides crucial knowledge for the development of new treatments for chronic H. pylori infections and gastric cancer.