as if
A groundbreaking cancer treatment developed by NUS researchers uses engineered bacteria to deliver chemotherapy drugs directly to tumor sites, greatly increasing treatment effectiveness and reducing side effects.
NUS drug researchers have developed bacteria to deliver chemotherapy in a targeted manner.
Traditional chemotherapy presents many problems such as severe side effects, damage to healthy cells and limited efficacy.
Researchers at the Yong Lo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) have pioneered an advanced cancer treatment method. This new method offers a more precise, powerful and less harmful alternative to conventional chemotherapy. It not only increases the effectiveness of the treatment, but also significantly reduces the amount of drugs needed for cancer treatment.
Led by Associate Professor Matthew Chang, researchers at NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI) and the Synthetic Biology Translational Program (Syn Bio TRP) in NUS Medicine have identified a promising new drug delivery method for disease development. A new clinical treatment for cancer patients. The findings, published in Natural relationshipsdemonstrate a new method to deliver chemotherapy drugs directly to tumor sites by exploiting the natural interactions between bacteria and cancer cells.
Product strategy and bacterial innovation
Drugs are molecules that can be converted into active drugs in the body, especially by using specific tumor conditions around the tumor such as low oxygen or high acidity, allowing the drug to work properly at the cancer site while minimizing damage to healthy tissues. However, current drug strategies exhibit limited target specificity and are often based on macromolecular carriers, which complicate both drug delivery and clearance.
To overcome these limitations, NUS drug researchers developed a drug delivery system that uses covalent. Lactobacillus Stress binds to cancer cells through a surface molecule called heparan sulfate. These engineered bacteria contain a drug that converts to the chemotherapy drug SN-38 at the site of the tumor. In preclinical models of nasopharyngeal cancer, engineered bacteria were found specifically in the tumor and delivered the chemotherapy drug directly to the cancer site, reducing tumor growth by 67% and increasing the effectiveness of the chemotherapy drug by 54%.
Potential for extensive cancer treatment applications
One of the most promising aspects of this research is the possible wider applications in different types of cancer treatment, such as Lactobacillus Stress, identified by the researchers, is particularly associated with cancer cells. Lead researcher Dr. Shen Haosheng, a research fellow at CinCT: “Using the relationship between bacteria and cancer cells, we aim to transform the delivery of chemotherapy.” We are evaluating the association of multiple microorganisms with multiple cancer cell lines with the aim of developing a versatile delivery system using microbial species to target chemotherapy drugs to various mucosal cancers, such as colorectal, bladder, stomach, oral, lung, and nasal cancers. cancer”
“Cancer treatment often takes a heavy toll on patients. Our research represents a significant step toward developing a more targeted and less toxic approach to fighting cancer. We hope this will pave the way for simpler and more effective treatments,” said Dean’s Chair of Medicine and Director of CINCT and NUS Medicine’s CIN BioTRP. He added.
Reference: “Prod-Associated Complements for Tumor-Targeted Cancer Therapy” by Haosheng Shen, Changyu Zhang, Shengji Li, Yuanmei Liang, Li Ting Li, Nikhil Agarwal, Kwok Son Wun, Jing Liu, Saravanan Prabhu Nadarajan, Huna Weng, Cheng Weng Ling. , Joshua K. Tai, De Yun Wang, Shao Q. Yao, by Yang Hwang, Yung Seung Lee, and Matthew Wok Chang, 21 May 2024; Natural relationships.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48661-y