Researchers at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine have discovered a new way to target cancer using a mechanism found in gut bacteria. Led by microbiology professor Rodney Tweten, the team studied Bacteroides bacteria, which produce cholesterol-dependent cytolysin-like (CDCL) toxins. These proteins help bacteria compete in the gut by attacking rival microbes, as per the Oklahoma University News.
Published in journals like Nature Communications and Science Advances, the study found that CDCL toxins are highly selective, activating only in the presence of a specific enzyme. The toxins also include a built-in protective protein to shield themselves from attack.
The researchers have adapted these toxins to target cancer cells, including glioblastoma and HER2-positive breast cancer. They modified the CDCLs to recognize cancer-specific receptors, allowing them to attach to and kill cancer cells by creating holes in their membranes.
Professor Tweten explained that, unlike other treatments that attempt to destroy cancer from inside the cell, this approach attacks from the outside. In lab tests, the method has shown effectiveness. One potential application could be delivering the toxin directly into a tumor cavity after surgery to destroy remaining cancer cells.
The team continues to explore how these gut-derived toxins might be developed into cancer treatments.
