Myobacterium in Olive Oil

We all have heard that Olive Oil is good for us but now we know that the collaboration of the institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and the University Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB) researchers have found that it may help cancer. Research led by the professor of the UAB department of Genetics and Microbiology Esther Julian, announced a year ago that the cells of the Mycobacterium brumae offer an improved alternative to current bladder cancer treatments such as BCG (an immunotherapy based on the Mycobacterium bovis), that can cause infection.

They have since been searching for ways to improve the immunotherapeutic activity of M. brumae through different emulsions, which can increase the homogeneity and stability, and in turn the efficacy, of the mycobacteria solutions when introduced into the body.

They have found a way to reduce the clumps produced when mycobacteria cells are introduced into the usual aqueous solutions used for intravesical instillation in bladder cancer patients. This may interfere with the interaction of the mycobacteria-host cells and negatively influence their antitumor effects.

The emulsion based on olive oil induces a prominent immune response in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. This oil preserves the viability of the mycobacteria and provides higher anti-clumping rate. This indicates favorable conditions for reaching the bladder.

Esther Julian believes these results highlight the potential of the olive oil-based emulsion as a promising delivery vehicle for the mycobacterial treatment of bladder cancer.

The full article is, Mycobacteria emulsified in olive oil-in-water trigger a robust immune response in bladder cancer treatment, and was published online June 6, 2016 in the Scientific Reports.

Dr Fredda Branyon