Amazing stuff! Cancer is history (soon)!
"... In this new study, a team ... engineered bacteria to detect snippets of DNA shed from lab-grown colorectal cancer cells and mice harboring colorectal tumors. ...
The researchers coopted Acinetobacter baylyi, a bacterial thief known for its ability to scoop up DNA from its environment. ...
The researchers equipped A. baylyi with instructions to instead seek out specific mutation-carrying sequences commonly found in colorectal cancers. They found A. baylyi could discriminate the single-base difference between cancer-causing mutations and harmless genetic errors in free-floating DNA expelled from cells. ..."
From the editor's summary and the abstract:
"Editor’s summary
Bacteria have been previously engineered to detect diseases by responding to specific metabolites or pathogens. Cooper et al. have now engineered a species of bacteria to detect specific mutations in human DNA. These bacteria, Acinetobacter baylyi, are normally nonpathogenic and naturally competent to take up DNA by horizontal gene transfer. The authors took advantage of this property, engineering these bacteria to become resistant to a specific drug only when they took up DNA containing a cancer-associated mutation in a specific oncogene, but not its wild-type counterpart. The bacteria detected their target both in culture and in mice bearing tumors with the relevant mutation after the bacteria were delivered by rectal enema, suggesting a potential clinical application. ...
Abstract
Synthetic biology has developed sophisticated cellular biosensors to detect and respond to human disease. However, biosensors have not yet been engineered to detect specific extracellular DNA sequences and mutations. Here, we engineered naturally competent Acinetobacter baylyi to detect donor DNA from the genomes of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells, organoids, and tumors. We characterized the functionality of the biosensors in vitro with coculture assays and then validated them in vivo with sensor bacteria delivered to mice harboring colorectal tumors. We observed horizontal gene transfer from the tumor to the sensor bacteria in our mouse model of CRC. This cellular assay for targeted, CRISPR-discriminated horizontal gene transfer (CATCH) enables the biodetection of specific cell-free DNA."
Researchers Engineer Bacteria That Can Detect Tumor DNA Advanced biosensor leverages gene swapping to identify colon cancer
As seen in a dish, Acinetobacter baylyi (green) bacteria surround clumps of colorectal cancer cells.
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