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Shape Matters: The Corkscrew Twist of H. Pylori Enables It to 'Set Up Shop' In the Stomach


May 27, 2010

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The bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which lives in the human stomach and is associated with ulcers and gastric cancer, is shaped like a corkscrew, or helix. For years researchers have hypothesized that the bacterium's twisty shape is what enables it to survive--and thrive--within the stomach's acid-drenched environment, but until now they have had no proof.Full Story

Source
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

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