Bacteria: our ally in the fight against cancer

Abstract

Cancer heterogeneity and development of resistance is the main limiting factor for the management and treatment of the disease. However, major technological innovations in precision medicine and immunebased therapies have renewed faith in having a cure for different types of cancers. Classical cancer treatment options include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. Emergence of novel tumor targeting bacteria could open up new therapeutic avenues. Bacteriotherapy alone or in conjunction with classical cancer therapies has given promising results on local tumor regression and distant metastasis. Moreover, bacteria exhibit direct anti-cancer effects that subsequently aid in the activation of innate and adaptive anti-tumor immune responses. Overall, genetically reprogrammed bacterial vectors holds great potential for the specific targeting of cancers as delivery vehicles. In this review article, we have reviewed the therapeutic potential of bacteriotherapy as monotherapy or combination therapy and discussed its benefits, challenges, and future directions.