Researchers have developed a bioengineered chewing gum that may offer a new way to target microbes associated with head and neck cancer. In tests involving oral samples from patients, extracts from the gum sharply reduced one virus and two types of bacteria linked to the disease. The research team was led by Henry Daniell of the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The findings were published in Scientific Reports and could support the development of more accessible and affordable treatments. A Need for Better Head and Neck Cancer Therapies Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a common form of cancer that begins in the tissues lining the mouth and throat. The disease can be particularly aggressive, and outcomes are often poor when it is discovered at a later stage. Daniell says that many recently approved cancer medications have not produced major improvements in patients' quality of life or five-year survival.…