Scientists have developed a promising new cancer treatment after discovering that bacteria living inside tumors may hold the key to attacking cancer cells from within. The experimental therapy works by cutting off the tumor’s energy supply while leaving healthy cells largely unharmed.
Researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago focused on microbes that naturally exist inside cancer tumors, an area known as the “tumor microbiome.” While these bacteria were once believed to be biologically unimportant, scientists are now finding they may play a much bigger role in cancer treatment.
The research team created a tiny protein fragment called aurB from a bacterial protein known as auracyanin. This protein comes from bacteria and was engineered into a peptide capable of targeting the mitochondria the structures inside cells responsible for producing energy.
Once inside cancer cells, aurB attached itself to ATP synthase, the molecular machine that generates ATP, the fuel cells need to survive. By disrupting this process, the therapy effectively starved cancer cells of energy.
One of the most significant findings was that the treatment worked even when cancer cells carried damaged or missing p53 genes. The p53 gene normally acts as a protective barrier against uncontrolled cell growth, but it is mutated in many aggressive cancers, making treatments less effective.
Researchers said aurB bypasses this problem entirely, allowing it to attack tumors regardless of p53 status. The therapy also showed effectiveness against prostate cancer cells that no longer respond to hormone-based treatments.
In laboratory tests, healthy cells such as heart and muscle cells were mostly unaffected. Scientists observed little uptake of the peptide in normal tissues, suggesting the therapy may avoid many of the harmful side effects commonly associated with cancer treatments.
The team then combined aurB with radiation therapy in mice with advanced prostate cancer that had spread to the bones. The results were striking. AurB alone reduced tumor growth by 68%, while combining it with radiation reduced tumor growth by nearly 99%.
The treatment also sharply reduced the spread of cancer to the lungs, one of the most dangerous stages of metastatic disease. Researchers believe aurB weakens cancer cells by shutting down their energy systems, making them far more vulnerable to radiation.
Further analysis showed the therapy may also suppress HIF-1, a pathway tumors use to survive low-oxygen conditions and resist radiation treatment. Blocking this pathway could help overcome one of cancer’s major defense mechanisms.
Scientists have already secured a patent for aurB and are now preparing for future human clinical trials. Early findings suggest the peptide remains concentrated around tumors for several days after injection, which may make it suitable for use alongside existing cancer therapies.
Researchers say the discovery opens the door to a completely new approach to cancer treatment. Instead of only targeting cancer cells directly, future therapies could be developed from the hidden bacteria already living inside tumors.