Scientists turn gut bacteria into tumor-targeting therapy
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Researchers at the University of Chicago are exploring a “bugs as drugs” approach that uses engineered gut bacteria to attack pancreatic tumors more directly. The strategy takes advantage of bacteria’s ability to reach and interact with tumors, allowing them to deliver therapeutic effects at the cancer site while potentially limiting damage to healthy tissue. Although the approach is still experimental, the findings point to a promising new direction for treating pancreatic cancer, one of the most difficult cancers to manage with existing therapies.
Source
Jaehyun Lee et al. ,Engineered probiotic Bifidobacterium for tumor-targeted pancreatic cancer therapy.Sci. Adv.12,eadz1388(2026).DOI:10.1126/sciadv.adz1388
Additional Reading
https://news.uchicago.edu/story/engineered-gut-bacteria-show-promise-against-pancreatic-cancer
https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-turn-gut-bacteria-into-pancreatic-cancer-fighters/