Bacteria and Fungi Found in PMP Mucin: What a New Study Shows

A new study published in Microbial Biotechnology sheds light on the microbes living inside the mucin of pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP). For years, researchers have suspected that bacteria may play a role in PMP. This study goes further – and identifies fungi in PMP mucin for the first time.

What the researchers found

• Living bacteria were recovered from most of the human PMP samples studied, showing that bacteria can survive within the mucin-rich environment of these tumors.
• Fungal communities were also identified, the first characterization of a fungal “mycobiome” in PMP.
• Using several complementary methods, the team showed where these microbes are located within the mucin.
• Similar microbial signals were seen in laboratory models of PMP.

Why it matters

Together, these findings suggest that PMP mucin is home to a community of different types of microbes. The study does not show what these microbes are doing or whether they affect how the disease behaves. But it lays an important foundation for future research into how bacteria, fungi, and the body interact in PMP – and whether that knowledge could one day lead to new ways to diagnose or treat the disease.

Read the study

Pezzopane R, et al. Integrated Microbial Profiling Identifies Bacterial and Fungal Communities in Pseudomyxoma Peritonei Mucin. Microbial Biotechnology. 2026;19(11):e70457. Read the full article.

This study is also available in our Published Research library.

This summary is for general information only and is not medical advice. Please talk with your care team about what this research may mean for you.