Conventional cancer therapies are limited by a number of
factors including the develop-ment of drug-resistant tumor cells, the toxicity
of treatment agents to normal tissue, and the difficulty of bringing therapy to
poorly perfused areas of solid tumors. While these factors have prompted the
development of new approaches for the treatment of cancer, including various
methods of gene therapy, there is still an urgent need for new methods to fight
tumor growth and metastasis.
Researchers at the Biodesign Institute of Arizona State
University are developing a recombinant strain of Salmonella as a novel
anticancer vector to reduce tumor growth. This genetically engineered,
self-destructing bacterium could serve as a programmed “bio-time-bomb” to
destroy tumor tissues by release of tumor killing materials after colonization
of tumors.
The design, construction and successful evaluation of an
engineered Salmonella-based cancer therapeutic might represent a highly
effective means of overcoming chemo- and radio-therapeutic tumor cell
resistance, reducing systemic toxicity of cancer treatment, and to eradicate
tumors from the cancer patient.
Potential Applications
- Inhibition of tumor growth
- Treatment of cancer in patients
Benefits and Advantages
- Targeted cancer treatment
- Reduces risk of drug resistance
- Not toxic to normal tissue
Download Original PDF
For more information about the inventor(s) and their
research, please see
Dr.
Curtiss' directory webpage
Dr.
Curtiss' departmental webpage
Dr. Kong's
directory webpage
