Imagine battling cancer with nothing more than a gentle swab of bacteria. Sounds like science fiction, right? Well, researchers at Stanford Medicine have just taken a major step toward making that a reality.
The Breakthrough
In a recent study, scientists altered bacteria found naturally on the skin—specifically a common one called Staphylococcus epidermidis—to fight cancer. They swabbed the genetically modified bacteria onto the fur of mice with aggressive skin tumors. What happened next was surprising: the tumors started to shrink and, in some cases, disappeared completely.
Even more amazing? This happened without causing any inflammation or harmful side effects.
How It Works
The trick lies in the immune system. The Stanford team reprogrammed the S. epidermidis bacteria to produce a protein that stimulates CD8 T cells—a type of immune cell that targets and destroys threats in the body.
These modified bacteria trained the CD8 T cells to recognize and attack the specific markers (called antigens) found on the surface of skin cancer tumors. So when those immune cells spotted a tumor, they went into action, multiplying rapidly and wiping it out.
One of the most surprising results? Tumors shrank not only near the area where the bacteria was applied, but also in other parts of the body. “It seemed almost like magic,” said Michael Fischbach, PhD, associate professor of bioengineering at Stanford. “Watching those tumors disappear — especially at a site distant from where we applied the bacteria — was shocking.”
Why It Matters
This study shows just how powerful the skin microbiome might be when it comes to medicine. We often hear about gut bacteria and their role in health, but our skin is home to millions of bacteria too—and we’re only beginning to understand what they can do.
If this treatment proves safe and effective in humans, it could offer a brand-new, non-invasive way to fight certain types of cancer. Even more exciting, it could potentially be used to treat infectious diseases as well.
What’s Next?
Before we get too excited, there are still some big questions. So far, this has only worked in mice. Scientists don’t yet know if the same bacteria will trigger a strong immune response in humans, even though S. epidermidis is also common on our skin. Plus, this method is currently designed for skin cancers—it’s unclear whether it would work for internal tumors.
Still, Stanford researchers are optimistic. They expect to begin human trials within the next few years. More testing on animals will come first, but the early signs are very promising.
This discovery might just be the beginning of a new era where the friendly bacteria on our skin could help us fight off some of the deadliest diseases out there.
Source: https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2023/04/cancer-bacteria.html
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