Intratumoral microorganisms and artificial antitumor bacteria

Intratumoral microorganisms have been detected in multiple cancer types, which can significantly affect the tumor progression and antitumor treatment efficacy. Considering the important role of intratumoral microorganisms in cancer development, novel therapeutic and diagnostic approaches based on living bacteria have received increasing attention in oncology. In addition to wild types, bacteria can also be programmed through synthetic biology techniques to enhance the spatial and temporal controllability. Therefore, once perfected, intratumoral microorganisms can be combined with immunotherapy or other powerful antitumor agents and possibly unlock the next generation of precision cancer diagnosis and therapy. Moreover, the current challenges and perspectives have also been discussed.