bacterial invasion of cancer cells: using bacteria for therapeutics leeza shashkova 30 july 2013
TRANSCRIPT
Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells: Using Bacteria for Therapeutics
Leeza Shashkova
30 July 2013
Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells
• Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide
• One solution was developed by synthetic biologists: engineer a bacteria that destroys cancer cells
Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells
• Biologists developed bacteria that destroy tumor cells and do not harm other tissue
• Bacteria respond to hypoxic environment created by dense tumor cells by invading cell
• Can invade HeLa (epithelial), HepG2 (carcinoma), and U2OS cells (osteosarcoma)
Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells
• Bacteria can be constructed with various components
• When expressed, the inv gene (from the Y. pseudotuberculosis bacteria) produces invasin
• Invasin is a protein that enables bacteria to invade mammalian cells
Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells
• The inv gene can be paired with a few other components: the lux operon, the fhdF promoter, or the araBAD promoter
• Lux operon is a quorum sensing circuit from the Vibrio fischeri bacteria, a family of bacteria that responded to high cell density
Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells
• The fhdF promoter is responsive to hypoxic environments
• The araBAD promoter is responsive to arabinose
• Lux operon, fhdF promoter and araBAD promoter are all well equipped to work in this bacteria, because they are sense characteristics of cancerous tissue
Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells
• Once inside of the cell, the bacteria release cytotoxins to destroy the cancer cell
Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells
• Bacterial treatment of cancer is safer and more effective than other treatment options like chemotherapy
• Bacteria are a more accurate treatment for the patient, because they release the correct dose and target the specific area
Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells
• University of Pennsylvania’s iGEM team designed a bacteria that would destroy cancer cells when exposed to blue light
Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells
• Bacterial therapeutics has not been widely received by the public yet
• Artemisinin has already been introduced to the market as an affordable cure for malaria
• With more education about the benefits of genetic engineering, we may be someday treating diseases with engineered bacteria
Bacterial Invasion of Cancer Cells
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• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9338007
• http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/8867865/reload=0;jsessionid=WMgdnfeuuANQzxhaYg6q.20
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