Genetically modified bacteria could help treat solid tumors
Technology
Scientists at the University of Waterloo have tweaked a common soil bacterium so it can thrive deep inside solid tumors—where oxygen is low and most treatments struggle to reach.
These bacteria are now able to grow right in the tumor's core, turning a tough environment into their new home.
Researchers are now combining all their tweaks into 1 supercharged bacterium
One big challenge: oxygen at the tumor's edges usually kills these helpful bacteria.
To fix this, researchers added a special gene that lets them survive longer near oxygen, giving them more time to work against cancer cells.
The team is now combining all their tweaks into one supercharged bacterium for pre-clinical trials.