Researchers in this study wanted to understand how bacteria living in breast tissue (the breast microbiome) may be linked to breast cancer. While bacteria are known to exist in many parts of the body, including the breast, it is still unclear how these microbial communities change over time and whether they influence cancer risk.
To explore this, the researchers analyzed breast tissue from several groups: healthy women, women before they were diagnosed with breast cancer, and women with diagnosed breast cancer, including both tumor tissue and nearby normal tissue. They used genetic sequencing to identify the types of bacteria present and to understand what functions these bacteria might perform.
The researchers found that even before cancer is diagnosed, breast tissue can show early changes in bacterial composition. These changes became more noticeable in tumor tissue. They also discovered that bacteria in cancer-related tissue had different metabolic functions, suggesting they may influence the surrounding tissue environment. In addition, they observed changes in how bacteria interact with human gene activity.
Overall, the study suggests that shifts in the breast microbiome may occur early and could be linked to future cancer development.
