The uses of bacteria in cancer therapy

Abstract

Cancer is one of the leading cause of death worldwide. Cancer treatment success remains a challenge due to the unique pathophysiology of solid tumors and the predictable emergence of drug resistance. Traditional cancer treatments, including radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, have limitations. A new approach, bacteriotherapy, used alone or in combination with traditional methods, has shown positive effects in regression of tumors and inhibition of metastases. Bacteriotherapy is the use of live, attenuated strains of bacteria, toxins, peptides, and bacteriocins in the treatment of cancer. They're also commonly employed as a vector for delivering genes, peptides, or medicines to tumor targets. Surprisingly, it was shown that combining them with traditional therapy techniques can improve outcomes. In the era of genome editing, it is possible to create a new generation of cancer-fighting bacteria with fewer side effects and higher efficacy. The goal of this paper was to summarize what is currently known about bacteria's involvement in cancer treatment. Here, we reviewed the recent improvements in the development of engineered bacteria for cancer therapy, as well as further engineering techniques to enhance the delivery of therapeutic payloads and recent advances in the field of Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) mediated cancer therapy. Finally, we discuss past and ongoing clinical studies involving tumor-targeting bacteria.