Programmed Bacteria for Cancer Immunotherapy

The emerging field of synthetic biology—designing new biological components and systems—is revolutionizing medicine. Through the genetic programming of living cells, researchers are creating engineered systems that intelligently sense and respond to diverse environments, leading to more specific and effective solutions in comparison to current molecular-based therapeutics.


Teaming up with the Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), Columbia Engineering has addressed this challenge by engineering a strain of non-pathogenic bacteria that can colonize solid tumors in mice and safely deliver potent immunotherapies, acting as a Trojan Horse that treats tumors from within. The therapy led not only to complete tumor regression in a mouse model of lymphoma, but also significant control of distant, uninjected tumor lesions. Their findings are published in Nature Medicine.

Видео Programmed Bacteria for Cancer Immunotherapy канала Columbia Engineering