A team of MIT researchers has been evaluating Bacillus anthracis, the bacteria which causes anthrax, as a potential "deliverer" of antibodies to cancer cells. Bacillus anthracis is of interest to the medical community as it is able to deliver large enzymes through the cell membrane, a feat rendered difficult to impossible in the administration of cancer drugs to specific cells.
The anthrax toxin kills cells through three mechanisms. The first is the protective antigen (PA), a protein which binds to the TEM-8 and CMG-2 receptors found on most cells. Once PA binds to a cell, it creates a "docking site" for the two anthrax proteins called lethal factor (LF) and edema factor (EF). These proteins are sent into the cell and disrupt cellular processes, often causing cell death. However, if the sections responsible for the LF and EF proteins in anthrax are removed, the PA will leave channels that allow proteins to enter cells. This system can be used to deliver synthesized antibodies, referred to as antibody mimics, to cancer cells through the channels left by the PA to target specific proteins in cancer cells. The antibody mimics are smaller than antibodies and function to disrupt specific proteins within a cancer cell.
This article immediately caught my eye as I never would have expected the words "anthrax to deliver cancer drugs" to be put together. This article shows the importance of the combination of innovative and logical thinkers in medicine. If the MIT team is able to effectively replicate this method of administering antibodies to cancer cells in specific types of cells, this method may change oncology forever.
Article: https://newsoffice.mit.edu/2014/cancer-drug-delivery-by-anthrax-0925
Related article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3066103/
I love hearing about possible treatments for devastating diseases, such as cancer. I wonder what pointed the MIT researchers in the direction of Bacillus anthracis as a possible treatment. The reasoning and the blueprint for exactly how the bacteria would take down the cancer cell sounds very promising. Hopefully more research and information will be presented because I have a couple questions: What method would they consider using to get the bacteria into the body? How will the bacteria differentiate between cancer cells and regular cells? Will it only work on certain types of cancer cells or all of them? This article is very inspiring and makes me consider that the treatment for cancer might be available sooner than most people think.
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