Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 18 August 2026 · From issue 23
Select intratumoral riboflavin-auxotrophic Enterococcus species enhance cell surface MR1 expression and MAIT TCR activation in lung cancer
Certain gut bacteria in lung tumors boost a warning signal that activates immune cells.
Pakhi Birla, Lansaol Yang et al.
Some bacteria living inside lung tumors can change how immune cells display a warning signal on their surface. This signal, called MR1, helps activate a type of immune cell that hunts down threats. Certain bacteria did not trigger this immune cell directly, but they boosted the warning signal when another chemical was also present. The boost happened through changes in how cells build and move the signal, not through changes in genes.
Shown in lung tumor samples using gene data, not tested as a live treatment.
Human tumor gene data only, no live treatment trial yet.
Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 19 August 2026. Retraction record: none. DOI resolves at doi.org. Metadata record found (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences). Read the source
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