Bacteria-driven cancer therapy: Exploring advancements and challenges
Syed Riaz Ud Din, Sumbul Saeed, Shahid Ullah Khan, Fawad Mueen Arbi, Guo Xuefang, Mintao Zhong
Abstract
Cancer, a serious fatal disease caused by the uncontrolled growth of cells, is the biggest challenge flagging around medicine and health fields. Conventionally, various treatments-based strategies such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and alternative cancer therapies possess drugs that cannot reach the cancerous tissues and make them toxic to noncancerous cells. Cancer immunotherapy has made outstanding achievements in reducing the chances of cancer. Our considerable attention towards cancer-directed immune responses and the mechanisms behind which immune cells kill cancer cells have progressively been helpful in the advancement of new therapies. Among them, bacteria-based cancer immunotherapy has achieved much more attention due to smart and robust mechanisms in activating the host anti-tumor response. Moreover, bacterial-based therapy can be utilized as a single monotherapy or in combination with multiple anticancer immunotherapies to accelerate productive clinical results. Herein, we comprehensively reviewed recent advancements, challenges, and future perspectives in developing bacterial-based cancer immunotherapies. • Bacteria are promising agents to locate and recognize cancer development. • In comparison to conventional approaches, bacterial therapy can mitigate tumor cell resistance. • Genetic engineering can modify bacteria beneficial in cancer diagnosis without harmful effects. • Bacterial-based immunotherapy can be combined with several other anticancer therapies to cure cancer.