How do bugs in your stomach effect the function of stomach stem cells?

Gastric cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death, claiming more than 1 million lives annually. A major predisposing factor to developing gastric cancer is infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which interacts with cells of the stomach to establish chronic inflammation. In parallel, cancer-causing mutations have the potential to give cells in the stomach various advantages over non-cancerous cells, allowing them to readily form tumours and in some instances, evade standard-of-care cancer treatments. However, the intersection of H. pylori infection and known cancer-causing mutations is poorly described and highlights an urgent need to better understand how these two predisposing factors interact. You will investigate how H. pylori infection influences the behaviour and identity of cancer cells in the stomach, with the ambition of developing new therapies that overcome drug-resistance and better patient outcomes. You will use mouse models of H.pylori infection, microscopy, molecular biology and 3D organoid culture.