KrakowInformer.com

Aggressive strain of Salmonella has been used to help people

Cancer tumor is attractive for bacteria...

...because of different blood vessels

Bacteria's harmfulness was decreased

New therapy can spare hours in a hospital

Normally harmful Salmonella bacteria have been made a human ally in a fight against cancer. Scientists from the Jagiellonian University have used this bacterium type’s natural aggressiveness in attacking host cells. – We can say that when entering a body Salmonella is ‘searching’ for the cancer cell to ‘hide’ from human immune system that would attack it – says Prof. Joanna Bereta from Immunology Department at Jagiellonian University’s Collegium Medicum. She is the continuator of her husband, Prof. Michał Bereta’s life work and idea, as the Professor has passed away in 2008.

After entering into a tumor Salmonella causes its destruction from the inside, and simultaneously, being ‘hidden’ inside the tumor, the bacterium attracts human immune system’s response to the tumor presence. – Patients undergoing this therapy will not be exposed to conditions caused by Salmonella, because its malign qualities have been significantly debilitated – says Paulina Chorobik, Prof. Bereta’s team member responsible for carrying out laboratory tests.

Effectiveness of prototype Salmonella therapy has already been confirmed by tests on rats. The next step is further prefecting of the strain and tests on large mammals.

 - A patent procedure for the strain has been launched, we are also working to secure funds necessary for completing pre-clinical tests. When this second phase is completed it will be much easier to attract future investors such as renowned pharmaceutical companies such as Merck and Roche – says Dominik Czaplicki from the Jagiellonian University’s Innovation, Development and Technology Transfer Center.

According to scientists from the University’s Collegium Medicum department this technology can in the future become a chance of treatment for patients suffering from various types of inner organ solid cancer, and probably also other, such as melanoma. Forseen effectiveness and low production costs make the outcom of research very attractive from commercial perspective. The innovative technology from Krakow has recently been awarded a prize of Polish Product of the Future. The ultmate date of technology implementation is not yet known.