How Is Salmonella Being Engineered for Cancer Therapy?
Scientists are modifying Salmonella to reduce its virulence and enhance safety. This is achieved by deleting genes responsible for pathogenicity and incorporating genes that produce anti-cancer agents. For instance, some engineered strains are designed to secrete cytokines, which stimulate an immune response against tumor cells, or enzymes that convert non-toxic prodrugs into active chemotherapy agents within the tumor.