Scientists at the University of Waterloo are developing an innovative cancer treatment that utilizes specially engineered bacteria. These bacteria are designed to target tumors from the inside out. The idea revolves around microbes that thrive in oxygen-free environments, making them ideal candidates for attacking solid tumors.
Dr. Marc Aucoin, a professor of chemical engineering at Waterloo, explains how this works. “Bacteria spores enter the tumor, finding abundant nutrients and no oxygen,” he says. “They grow in that environment, helping to eliminate the tumor.”
The key player in this process is Clostridium sporogenes, a bacterium often found in soil. It thrives in areas where oxygen is absent, like the center of solid tumors filled with dead cells. This creates an excellent breeding ground for the bacteria.
However, there’s a challenge. As the bacteria grow and spread, they encounter oxygen-rich areas of the tumor and start to die off before they can fully destroy the cancer. To solve this issue, the researchers modified the bacteria by inserting a gene from a related strain that can tolerate some oxygen. This change allows the microbes to survive longer in those more challenging areas.
But they also needed to control when this oxygen-tolerance gene activates. Activating it too soon could be dangerous, letting the bacteria thrive in the bloodstream. To manage this, they used a process called quorum sensing, where bacteria communicate through chemical signals. As their numbers increase, the signal strengthens. Only when there are enough bacteria inside the tumor does the signal trigger the oxygen-tolerance gene, ensuring safety and effectiveness.
This research is a remarkable blend of synthetic biology and genetic engineering. The team has previously modified Clostridium sporogenes to withstand oxygen better. In follow-up experiments, they demonstrated their quorum-sensing design by programming the bacteria to produce a green fluorescent protein, confirming that their system activated at the right time.
Dr. Brian Ingalls, a professor at Waterloo, likens their work to building an electrical circuit but using DNA instead of wires. “Each piece has a specific job,” he explains. When correctly assembled, they create a reliable system.
The next step is combining the modified gene and the quorum-sensing control system into one bacterium to test it against tumors in pre-clinical trials.
This research started with PhD student Bahram Zargar, guided by Dr. Ingalls and Dr. Pu Chen, a retired chemical engineering professor at Waterloo. This project showcases the university’s commitment to interdisciplinary health innovation, bringing together experts from engineering, mathematics, and life sciences to transform scientific breakthroughs into practical medical solutions.
Additionally, the team collaborates with the Center for Research on Environmental Microbiology (CREM Co Labs) in Toronto, co-founded by Dr. Zargar. This collaboration aims to push the boundaries of cancer treatment even further.
While the concept is intriguing, the potential impact is significant. Cancer is a leading cause of death globally, with around 10 million deaths attributed to the disease in 2020, as reported by the World Health Organization. Innovative treatments like this could be game-changers, providing new hope for patients.
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Workplace Health; Diseases and Conditions; Gene Therapy; Genes; Soil Types; Biotechnology and Bioengineering; New Species; Genetically Modified
