A chewing gum made from beans dramatically reduced levels of human papillomavirus (HPV) in laboratory tests — an intriguing but very early step toward preventing the cancers HPV can cause.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, led by professor Henry Daniell, developed a gum from lablab beans, which naturally contain an antiviral protein called FRIL. In tests on oral samples from patients with head and neck cancer, extracts from the gum reduced HPV by up to 93% in saliva and 80% in oral-rinse samples, with the FRIL protein appearing to trap the virus.
Why HPV matters here
HPV is a leading cause of oropharyngeal cancer and other head and neck cancers, as well as cancers of the lip and oral cavity. A simple, low-cost way to lower oral HPV could, in principle, reduce that risk. The gum also nearly eliminated two harmful oral bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum, in the tests, and an engineered version adds an antimicrobial peptide called protegrin. The work was published August 4, 2026 in Scientific Reports.
The important caveat
This is an ex vivo study — it used patient samples in the lab, not living people, and there have been no human clinical trials. The researchers propose advancing the gum to clinical testing, either alongside current treatments or as a preventive measure. Until then, it remains a promising laboratory finding, not an available product.