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this new therapeutic platform is being used in proof of concept studies to deliver epigenetic inhibitors to cancer cells, including small populations of chemoresistant cancer stems
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Technology This invention describes a novel bacterial delivery system to treat primary cancers and metastatic disease. The delivery system is based on a non-toxic Salmonella strain which exhibits tropism to tumors over normal tissues and includes a failsafe circuit to allow for bacterial clearing at the end of therapy. Moreover, the bacterial delivery system has been engineered to deliver DNA and peptides directly into cancer cells to regulate gene expression and/or manipulate signaling pathways. To enhance efficient delivery of macromolecules to cancer cells, the system includes genetic components that promote intracellular bacterial lysis and enable macromolecules to reach the target cell’s cytosol. Currently, this new therapeutic platform is being used in proof of concept studies to deliver epigenetic inhibitors to cancer cells, including small populations of chemoresistant cancer stems cells believed to underlie tumor recurrence and metastasis. However, this platform system could be tailored to regulate different genes and/or signaling pathways and lead to the development of personalized cancer therapies.