NEW SCOPE OF CANCER TREATMENT FROM AEROBIC BACTERIA

Traditional cancer therapies are limited for two keybe caught and could be returned to the patient with
reasons: little of the drug actually reaches the tumorthe stem cells. Using the shiga-like toxin-1 (SLT-1)
and the drug is toxic to both cancerous and healthyfrom E. coli, the researchers were able to destroy
tissues.cancer cells from human stem cell cultures. The cells
Bacteria, however, have the potential to preciselywere exposed to the toxin in a test tube, and
target cells. "In a way, bacteria are the ultimate inneither the toxin nor the intact bacteria were ever
smart drugs. "It's hard to pack a lot of intelligencegiven to the patients, thereby avoiding the
into a small molecule or protein; but bacteria can havesymptoms of E. coli food poisoning. The cancer cells
sensors and actuators and can drill into a cell, like aused in their experiments were multiple myeloma,
submarine."B-cell lymphoma, and breast cancer.
Most people know E. coli as bacteria that can causeBut Cancer bacteria are infectious organisms that are
deadly food poisoning. In the future, though, it mayknown or suspected to cause cancer. While
save lives as a treatment for cancer. cancer cellscancer-associated bacteria have long been considered
were used in the E. coli experiments agent Breast forto be opportunistic (i.e., infecting healthy tissues after
removing multiple myeloma cells from stem cells usedcancer has already established itself), recent evidence
in autologous transplantation. Multiple myeloma, ais showing that some bacteria may be directly
cancer of the immune system cells that areinvolved in causing some cancers. The strongest
responsible for producing antibodies, is very resistantevidence to date involves the bacterium H.pylori and
to standard doses of chemotherapy. One of the risksits role in gastric cancer.
of the procedure is the tumor cells might not always