We believe we have evidence that at least 30% more human cancers are also linked to infectious events. This provides at least the hope that in the near future other methods can be developed that will also lead to long-term protection from those diseases – specifically colon cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer, where evidence is mounting that specific infectious events play a role.

Recently, we discovered a completely new class of infectious agents which are derived originally from plasmids. Plasmids are a kind of mini-chromosome of bacteria, which we find in a very large number of colon cancer patients. These are infections which persist for decades, causing chronic inflammations, and these inflammations are really the cause of oxygen radicals and mutation events in cells that are susceptible to cancer development.

We have all the (plasmid) genomes sequenced that we have identified so far, and what came up was really a surprise for us, because they do not represent viral nor bacterial sequences. They are slightly modified bacterial plasmids, originating from specific bacteria but learnt to replicate independently in cattle and human cells. We can demonstrate that they are found in inflammatory lesions of the colon, breast and prostate. So, in my opinion, this will hopefully permit new approaches for prevention and, in the long run, for treatment of these very common types of cancers.