Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells: Using Bacteria for Therapeutics

Leeza Shashkova

30 July 2013

Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells

• Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide

• One solution was developed by synthetic biologists: engineer a bacteria that destroys cancer cells

Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells

• Biologists developed bacteria that destroy tumor cells and do not harm other tissue

• Bacteria respond to hypoxic environment created by dense tumor cells by invading cell

• Can invade HeLa (epithelial), HepG2 (carcinoma), and U2OS cells (osteosarcoma)

Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells

• Bacteria can be constructed with various components

• When expressed, the inv gene (from the Y. pseudotuberculosis bacteria) produces invasin

• Invasin is a protein that enables bacteria to invade mammalian cells

Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells

• The inv gene can be paired with a few other components: the lux operon, the fhdF promoter, or the araBAD promoter

• Lux operon is a quorum sensing circuit from the Vibrio fischeri bacteria, a family of bacteria that responded to high cell density

Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells

• The fhdF promoter is responsive to hypoxic environments

• The araBAD promoter is responsive to arabinose

• Lux operon, fhdF promoter and araBAD promoter are all well equipped to work in this bacteria, because they are sense characteristics of cancerous tissue

Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells

• Once inside of the cell, the bacteria release cytotoxins to destroy the cancer cell

Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells

• Bacterial treatment of cancer is safer and more effective than other treatment options like chemotherapy

• Bacteria are a more accurate treatment for the patient, because they release the correct dose and target the specific area

Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells

• University of Pennsylvania’s iGEM team designed a bacteria that would destroy cancer cells when exposed to blue light

Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells

• Bacterial therapeutics has not been widely received by the public yet

• Artemisinin has already been introduced to the market as an affordable cure for malaria

• With more education about the benefits of genetic engineering, we may be someday treating diseases with engineered bacteria

Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells

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