When the bacterium Helicobacter pylori infects the stomach, it causes gastric inflammation and increases the risk of stomach cancer. Researchers have been able to elucidate characteristic changes which occur inside the gastric glands during an H. pylori infection. The researchers discovered a novel mechanism which, by restricting cell division in healthy stomach tissue, protects the stomach against cancerous changes. An inflammation of the stomach, however, deactivates this mechanism, enabling cells to grow in an uncontrolled manner. The researchers' findings may herald a new treatment target in stomach cancer.
