Genetically Engineered Sound Controlled Bacteria That Seek and Destroy Cancer Cells
An artist’s depiction of a bacterial cell. Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/James Archer Since its inception, chemotherapy has proven to be a valuable tool in treating many types of cancer, but it has significant drawbacks. Apart from killing cancer cells, it can also destroy healthy cells such as those in hair follicles, causing baldness, and those that line the stomach, resulting in nausea. Now, scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) may have a better solution: voice-controlled, genetically engineered bacteria that seek out and destroy cancer cells. In a new paper published in the journal Nature Communication Nature Communications is a peer-reviewed, open-access, multidisciplinary scientific journal published by Nature Research. It covers the natural sciences, including physics, biology, chemistry, medicine, and earth sciences. It began publishing in 2010 and has editorial offices in London, Berlin, New York City, and Shanghai. ...