Khaberni - A Chinese team has developed a new way to treat cancer using the bacterium "Escherichia coli Nissle 1917," known for its probiotic properties.
The bacteria served as a mediator to deliver anti-tumor drugs directly to cancer cells. The study results were published in the journal "PLoS Biology".
Native bacteria live in the human body and interact with its tissues, making them an important element in health and disease. The researchers exploited this property to create an engineered version of "Escherichia coli Nissle 1917" that produces the drug "romidepsin", which is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for anti-tumor use.
In an experiment on mice implanted with breast cancer cells, the animals were injected with the engineered bacteria, and the team found that it colonized the tumors and effectively released the drug, both in the lab and inside the living body, making the treatment targeted directly at the tumors.
While the results showed clear effectiveness in mice, the researchers cautioned that the trial has not yet been conducted on humans. They also emphasized the importance of future studies to assess potential side effects and methods of removing the bacteria after treatment to ensure the safety of the therapy.
The authors of the study from Shandong University, Qingdao, China, said: "Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 shows significant potential as a means of treating cancer, and by using these engineered bacteria, a targeted treatment for tumors can be designed, which produces and delivers anti-cancer drug molecules directly to the tumor."
They added: "Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 colonizes the tumors and cooperates with the activity of the drug 'romidepsin' to form a dual-effectiveness treatment, paving the way for the development of new treatments based on bacteria targeted at tumors."
