New York: Columbia researchers developed probiotic bacteria that train the immune system to eliminate cancer cells, paving the way for a new class of cancer vaccinations that take advantage of bacteria's innate tumour-targeting abilities. These microbial cancer vaccines can be tailored to each person's specific original tumour and metastases, perhaps preventing future recurrences.
In mice models of advanced colorectal cancer and melanoma, the bacterial vaccine stimulated the immune system, causing primary and metastatic malignancies to shrink - or in many cases disappear entirely. All while leaving healthy body parts alone.
