Salmonella is rarely considered to be one of the heroes, but it may soon be. A tweak to its genes has made a modified version into a germ that dives into cancer cells and shrinks the tumors from the inside. The researchers took out one of the pathogenic genes, replaced it with a different one, and then injected the germs into mice. It took a few days, but the germs found their way to the tumors and frequently began shrinking them. The additional benefit was they did so without causing perceptible side effects. If viable in humans, this could be a significant advance over radiation and chemotherapy. Don’t expect the treatment soon, but if it succeeds, expect the research to accelerate.
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“Diarrhea-Causing Salmonella Can Be Weaponized To Flush Out Cancer” – Ars Technica
Pretending Not To Panic 