'Reprogramming' E.Coli bacteria to fight ... cancer

Recently, a team of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California in San Diego (UCSD) "reprogrammed" E. coli bacteria to create a useful virus capable of attacking Public tumor cells.

According to Inhabitat, the researchers programmed E. coli safely for humans and could act as a "bomber" in the fight against cancer to reduce toxic compounds at those sites. affected bodies.

When combined with traditional cancer treatment in mice, these bacteria caused the liver tumors to shrink much faster than separate treatments.

E.coli bacteria can help us in the fight against cancer to reduce toxic compounds in affected bodies.

Sangeeta Bhatia, senior researcher at MIT and co-author of the paper published the findings, said: "Tumors can be a friendly environment for bacteria to grow and we are taking advantage of that. ".

Driven by the suppressed immune system, bacteria gather in areas affected by diseases naturally. Some bacteria can adapt well to low oxygen environments, such as the environment of a tumor. Therefore, harmless E.Coli bacteria are suitable for this micro-ecosystem and there are three different mechanisms provided by artificial gene circuits to attack tumors.

The modified E. coli also possesses a genetic circuit that allows it to identify the "population" of other bacteria around.

A vein in the bacteria can produce hemolysin, which damages the cell membranes of tumor cells. The second gene that is capable of producing a substance can "order" cancer cells to self-destruct while the third gene provides a protein that encourages the body's immune system to attack tumors. .

In addition, the modified E. coli bacteria also possess a genetic circuit that allows it to determine the "population" of other bacteria around them through the process of communicating and expressing behavior through molecules. signal. If the number of useful E. coli bacteria exceeds a certain limit, other harmful bacteria will be "programmed" to self-destruct until only a small amount remains.

Bhatia added: "That allows us to maintain the number of harmful bacteria in the whole body at a low level and continue to only put drugs into the tumor."

There are many types of E. coli, but fortunately most of them can be said to be harmless.

Research collaborators are currently programming bacteria so that they can use more "weapons" against dangerous cells while conducting searches and refining E.Coli bacteria accordingly. with different forms of cancer.

What is E. coli?

According to Preventive Medicine page, E.coli stands for the term Escherichia Coli which refers to a group of bacteria that lives in the digestive tract (intestines) of humans and animals. There are many types of E. coli, but fortunately most of them can be said to be harmless. However, some E. coli can cause diarrhea, and the most common type of this harmful E. coli group is E. coliO157: H7. In some patients, this bacteria can cause blood disorders and kidney failure, even leading to death.