Figure 1. Approach for the development of bacterial cancer therapies.

Bacteria are engineered guided by synthetic biology design and introduction of plasmid or modifying genomes. In vitro coculture systems can be used to rapidly characterize and develop effective engineered bacteria. To safely deliver therapeutics to the tumor, bacteria can sense and respond to a tumor microenvironment using synthetic gene circuits. Therapeutics are locally released including potentially toxic molecules such as bacterial toxins and potent immune stimulators.