Bacteria Inside Tumors Become Cancer-Fighting Weapons

Summary

Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have engineered a therapy that uses a bacterial protein to disrupt cancer cells' energy production. In prostate cancer models, the treatment combined with radiation significantly slowed tumor growth by targeting mitochondria, the structures cancer cells depend on to survive.

Quick Facts

• Lab-made peptide aurB disrupts mitochondria in cancer cells
• Most effective when combined with standard radiation therapy
• Derived from bacteria naturally present inside tumors

Why It Matters

This approach targets a cancer vulnerability that works independently of genetic mutations, potentially broadening treatment effectiveness.