Abstract
Spontaneous tumors regression has been associated with microbial infection for 100s of years and inspired the use of bacteria for anticancer therapy. Dr. William B. Coley (1862–1936), a bone- sarcoma surgeon, was a pioneer in treating his patients with both live bacterial-based and mixture of heat-killed bacteria known as “Coley’s toxins.” Unfortunately, Coley was forced to stop his work which interrupted this field for about half a century. Currently, several species of bacteria are being developed against cancer. The bacterial species, their genetic background and their infectious behavior within the tumor microenvironment are thought to be relevant factors in determining their anti-tumor effectiveness in vivo. In this perspective article we will update the most promising results achieved using bacterial therapy (alone or combined with other strategies) in clinically-relevant animal models of cancer and critically discuss the impact of the bacterial variants, route of administration and mechanisms of bacteria-cancer-cell interaction. We will also discuss strategies to apply this information using modern mouse models, molecular biology, genetics and imaging for future bacterial therapy of cancer patients.
Highlights
Reviewed by: Jung-Joon Min, Chonnam National University, South Korea Kaushlendra Tripathi, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States Lay-Hong Chuah, Monash University Malaysia, Malaysia
Specialty section: This article was submitted to Evolutionary and Genomic Microbiology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Microbiology
In 1891 Dr Coley started to treat his cancer patients with streptococcal living cultures and observed that inducing a fever was crucial for tumor regression; such a strategy caused some fatalities (McCarthy, 2006)
Summary
The use of microorganisms, in particular live bacteria, for prophylactic vaccination and cancer therapy have been used in humans for long periods in the past and have been a matter of controversy (Payette and Davis, 2001; Hoption Cann et al, 2003). In 1891 Dr Coley started to treat his cancer patients with streptococcal living cultures and observed that inducing a fever was crucial for tumor regression; such a strategy caused some fatalities (McCarthy, 2006). Coley generated a variety of “anti-tumor vaccines” mixing heat-killed bacteria, combining S. pyogenes with Serratia marcescens. In this way he could stimulate the symptoms of an infection (for example, inflammation, chills, fever) without the risks of a bacteremia. These vaccines became known as “Coley’s toxins” and were administered to patients with sarcomas, carcinomas, lymphomas, melanomas, and mielomas. The building of a broad integrated picture requires a critical scientific and medical vision, for moving forward
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call