UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Magazine Spring 2016 | Page 9

research update

center profile

“If we can
understand the
early events of
childhood

H pylori infection,
we will be better
prepared to block
the long-term
effects of

H pylori and
reduce the
number of
gastric cancers
worldwide.”
Phillip Smith, M.D.
UAB Comprehensive
Cancer Center
senior scientist

that knowledge could then potentially be applied to

among men than women,” Dr. Smith says. “If what

adults to help diminish their chances of developing

we have found so far is accurate, it suggests that one

gastric cancers, Dr. Smith adds. “H pylori causes

of the bacteria that accompanies H pylori infection in

cancer, but the accompanying microbiota may have a

women may be inducing a more potent T-regulatory

profound impact on the host response to H pylori.”

response that protects women from the consequences
of prolonged H pylori infection, including cancer.”

Next Steps
Dr. Smith and his colleagues are now working with

important problem to study because of its prevalence

activity they have observed in humans and seeing

and potentially devastating consequences throughout

if the results are similar. They are also expanding

the world,” he says. “The stomach provides a

their research to examine the differences in H pylori

window into the interaction between the microbiota

infections in women as compared to men. They have

and mucosal pathogen. The consequence of that

found H pylori-infected women have a four-fold higher

interaction is inflammation, and if we can understand

incidence of a certain bacteria that has been shown to

the early events of childhood H pylori infection, we

induce T-regulatory cell responses in animals.

will be better prepared to block the long-term effects

including Chile, gastric cancer is much more common
U A B

optimistic about the future. “H pylori infection is an

microbiota in animal models to replicate the H pylori

“This is important because throughout the world,

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C O M P R E H E N S I V E

Mansoor Saleh, M.D.

It’s a puzzle with many pieces, and Dr. Smith is

C A N C E R

C E N T E R

of H pylori and reduce the number of gastric cancers
worldwide.”

CENTER PROFILE
UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Magazine salutes Mansoor Saleh, M.D., professor of medicine and
By JOSH TILL

senior scientist in the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Saleh serves as medical director of the UAB
Clinical Trials Administrative Office and the director of UAB’s Phase I Program. He received his medical
degree from the University of Heidelberg in Germany and completed his internship and residency at
the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Saleh and his wife Salmah have been married 35 years
and have two children: Imran, a computer software product manager in Toronto, and Aleha, a pediatric
oncology nurse at Children’s of Alabama.

# K N O W U A B C C C

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U A B . E D U / C A N C E R

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