2023-04-18 06:33:19
Stanford Medicine researchers have made a promising discovery that could lead to new cancer treatments in the future.
Scientists conducted tests in which they altered the genomes of microbes and bacteria in the skin to fight cancer. These altered microbes were rubbed onto mice with cancer, and lo and behold, the tumors began to dissipate.
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The bacterium in question, the Staphylococcus epidermidiswas taken from the fur of mice and altered to produce a protein that stimulates the immune system against specific tumors.
The experiment appeared to be a resounding success, with the modified bacteria killing aggressive types of metastatic skin cancer after being gently applied to the hair. Results were also achieved without any noticeable inflammation.
“It almost felt like magic,” said Michael Fischbach, PhD, an associate professor of bioengineering at Stanford. “These mice had very aggressive tumors growing on their flanks and we gave them gentle treatment. We simply took a bacteria swab and rubbed it into the fur on their heads.”
This is yet another foray into the misunderstood world of microbiomes and all the bacteria that reside there. Gut biomes get all the press these days, but the skin is also home to millions and millions of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, and the purpose of these entities is unknown.
In this case, scientists discovered that staphylococcal cells in the epidermis trigger the production of immune cells called CD8 T cells. The researchers basically hijacked the S. epidermidis to produce CD8 T cells that target specific antigens.
In this case, the antigens were related to skin cancer tumors. When the cells found a matching tumor, they began to reproduce rapidly and shrink the mass, or wipe it out completely.
“Seeing these tumors disappear – especially far from where we applied the bacteria – was shocking,” said Fischbach. “It took us a while to believe it was happening.”
As with all expanding cancer treatments, there are some heavy caveats. First, these experiments are being conducted on mice.
Humans and mice are biologically similar in many ways, but many treatments that work in mice fail in people.
The Stanford researchers have no idea whether the S. epidermidis it triggers immune response in humans, although our skin is littered with the stuff, so they may need to find a different microbe to alter. Furthermore, this treatment is designed to treat skin cancer tumors and is applied topically. It remains to be seen whether the benefits extend to internal cancers.
With that said, the Stanford team says it expects human trials to begin in the next few years, though more testing in mice and other animals is needed before moving forward with people.
Scientists hope that this treatment could eventually be aimed at all types of infectious diseases in addition to cancer cells.
With information from Engadget
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