Cancer ResearchEngineered Bacteria Could Become Precision Weapons Against Tumors
Scientists have long known that certain bacteria naturally accumulate inside tumors. Now, researchers at Columbia University are exploring how to engineer these bacteria into precision cancer-fighting tools. By modifying bacteria to carry therapeutic payloads — including cytotoxic agents and immune-stimulating drugs — directly into tumor tissue, this approach could overcome one of oncology's biggest hurdles: getting treatments to the right place without harming healthy cells. This review-style perspective covers the biological mechanisms that allow bacteria to colonize tumors, strategies to boost that colonization, and how to choose and deliver the most effective therapeutic cargo. While early clinical results have been modest, ongoing engineering advances may unlock the full potential of bacteria as living, programmable cancer therapies.
