Drs. Bemis, Melvin & Simmons Jr. Publish Preliminary Findings on Bartonella Bacteria in Melanoma Tissue

Lynne Bemis, PhD, Richard Melvin, PhD and Glenn Simmons, Jr., PhD were collaborators on a recent publication in the Pathogens Journal entitled, "Bartonella henselae Detected in Malignant Melanoma, a Preliminary Study." The publication features a new association of the cancer microbiome with the pathogenic bacteria, Bartonella spp. Bartonella is a pathogenic bacterium frequently associated with Cat Scratch Disease in the United States. However, Bartonella is also being recognized as a coinfection in chronic Lyme disease and may be causative or contributing to many other conditions. In this publication, the researchers discuss how they are the first to show Bartonella bacteria in melanoma tissue using a novel microscopic technique using 80-micron thick sections. It is also shown that in the same piece of tissue they identify Bartonella with molecular techniques and there is data on each patient confirming they have had Bartonella prior via blood tests. In addition, they show that melanoma cells infected by Bartonella release VEGF and Il-8.

Read the full publication here