Helicobacter pylori -derived extracellular vesicles increased in the gastric juices of gastric adenocarcinoma patients and induced inflammation mainly via specific targeting of gastric epithelial cells

Bacteria-derived vesicles induce inflammation in the stomach, which could explain the link between Helicobacter pylori and stomach cancer. A team from South Korea led by Jae Gyu Kim of Chung-Ang University College of Medicine and Mina Rho of Hanyang University isolated bacteria and the tiny membrane-encapsulated vesicles they produce from the gastric juices of healthy patients and people with stomach diseases, including cancer. They exposed epithelial cells and immune cells from the stomach lining to vesicles derived from H. pylori, a bacterium linked to stomach ulcers and tumors, and observed an increase in the production of inflammatory mediators. The researchers also fed the vesicles to mice and saw that they infiltrated and remained in the animals' stomachs for up to 24 hours, where they triggered a similar inflammatory immune response.