Salmonella-Cancer discovery: breakthrough gives new hope for cancer patients

The notorious food poisoning offender, Salmonella, might just be the next cancer-fighting hero. Scientists at the University of Birmingham and the University of Glasgow have uncovered a surprising twist in the tale of Salmonella. The bug, infamous for being potentially life-threatening, burrowed away inside dodgy chicken or eggs, can be genetically engineered to charge patients’ immune systems against cancer cells.

In a stunning breakthrough, UK researchers have uncovered a way to transform Salmonella, the notorious food poisoning culprit, into a cancer-fighting ally. The study, funded by Cancer Research UK, could revolutionise treatments for bowel cancer, the country’s second-deadliest cancer.

Published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, the research unveils a clever mechanism by which genetically engineered Salmonella could team up with the immune system to combat colorectal cancer.

Bacteria vs bowel cancer: The fight is on

The groundbreaking study, conducted by the University of Birmingham in collaboration with the University of Glasgow, reveals how Salmonella can help destroy cancer cells. However, there’s a catch – the bacteria’s natural appetite for an amino acid called asparagine also weakens the body’s T cells, the immune system’s cancer-fighting warriors.

Dr Alastair Copland, an immunology expert at Birmingham and first author of the study, explained:

“Bacterial therapies are an exciting way to treat cancer by essentially starving tumours of vital nutrients. But the mystery has always been why T cells, which are critical in fighting cancer, fail to perform during these treatments.

“Now, we’ve identified the protein responsible for this and pinpointed an exciting genetic target that could help us unleash the full potential of this therapy. It’s particularly rewarding to turn a disease-causing bug like Salmonella into one that combats cancer.”

Why T cells matter

T cells are the immune system’s frontline soldiers in the war on cancer. But when Salmonella therapy depletes asparagine, tumour growth slows, yet T cells lose their fighting edge. The researchers suggest genetically tweaking the bacteria to spare asparagine, allowing T cells to stay fully operational, making the treatment much more effective.

As reported by the University of Birmingham, Dr Kendle Maslowski, lead researcher at the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, said:

“Our research has discovered that it is an amino acid called asparagine that the bacteria attacks which is essential for T cells to be activated. We believe this knowledge could enable bacteria to be engineered not to attack asparagine allowing the T cells to act against the tumour cells leading to new effective treatments for cancer.”

Bacterial therapies: An old idea with a new twist

The idea of using bacteria to treat cancer isn’t new – it dates back to the 19th century. But safety fears sidelined the approach for decades. Recent advances in genetic engineering have revived interest, turning harmful bugs into precision tools against cancer.

This innovative research offers a glimmer of hope for bowel cancer patients. With 16,800 lives lost to the disease each year in the UK, the potential to transform Salmonella into a life-saving treatment could be a game-changer.

Could a once-feared bacterium now be the hero we need? Only time – and further research – will tell.

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