Scientists turn probiotic bacteria into tiny drug factories for pancreatic cancer
Engineered probiotic bacteria were able to infiltrate pancreatic tumors, stimulate cancer-fighting immune cells, and slow tumor growth in animal studies. Even more strikingly, the treatment worked better when combined with chemotherapy, radiation, or immunotherapy.
Pancreatic cancer has proven difficult to treat using cancer immunotherapy, as the tumor microenvironment often blocks immune cells. To address this issue, researchers at the University of Chicago engineered Bifidobacterium longum, a probiotic bacterium found in the gut, to carry a modified version of interleukin-2 (IL-2) straight into pancreatic tumors.
This engineered strain, called BifidoSumIL-2, selectively activates T cells that fight cancer. In animal models, BifidoSumIL-2 slowed the growth of pancreatic tumors and was even more effective when combined with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or immunotherapy. Bifidobacterium's preference for anaerobic environments, like those found inside tumors, makes it an ideal delivery system, as it avoids exposure to oxygen in healthy tissues.
While the treatment has not yet been tested in humans, the researchers believe that BifidoSumIL-2 could potentially be given orally in the future, alongside other pancreatic cancer treatments like KRAS inhibitors.
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