Scientists Turn Cancer’s Own Bacteria Against It in Breakthrough Therapy

From  SciTechDaily

Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have designed a new cancer treatment by borrowing a strategy from bacteria that live inside tumors. Instead of attacking cancer cells directly, the approach targets how those cells generate energy.

In prostate cancer models, the therapy delivered its strongest results when combined with radiation, a standard treatment. Tumor growth slowed dramatically. The key component is a lab-made peptide called aurB, derived from a bacterial protein. Once inside cancer cells, aurB disrupts the mitochondria, the structures responsible for producing energy.