Scientists engineer bacteria to eat cancer tumors from the inside out
Science Daily
February 24, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Scientists have engineered bacteria to target and consume cancer tumors from the inside out, potentially offering a groundbreaking new treatment for solid cancers. The approach leverages Clostridium sporogenes, a microbe that thrives in oxygen-free environments, making it ideal for attacking tumor cores, which lack oxygen and are nutrient-rich. By engineering these bacteria, researchers aim to colonize and eliminate the tumor while minimizing harm to surrounding healthy tissue.
A key challenge faced by the team was ensuring the bacteria could survive as they moved from the low-oxygen core of tumors toward their oxygen-exposed edges. To address this, the scientists introduced a gene from a related bacterium that allows them to tolerate small amounts of oxygen. However, they needed precise control over when this gene activates to prevent the bacteria from spreading into oxygen-rich areas like blood vessels. They achieved this using quorum sensing—a natural bacterial communication system—combined with synthetic biology techniques.
The researchers designed a DNA circuit that triggers the oxygen-tolerance gene only when enough bacteria have gathered inside the tumor, ensuring activation occurs in the right place and at the right time. This system was tested using a fluorescent protein marker to confirm it works as intended. The next step is to integrate both the oxygen-tolerance gene and the quorum-sensing control system into a single bacterium for pre-clinical trials.
This innovative approach highlights the power of interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together experts in engineering, mathematics, and life sciences. If successful, this treatment could offer a less invasive alternative to traditional cancer therapies, with the bacteria naturally targeting and destroying tumors from within while avoiding damage to nearby healthy tissue. This research represents a significant leap forward in cancer treatment, showcasing the potential of synthetic biology to create precise, targeted therapies.
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Originally published on Science Daily on 2/24/2026