Researchers have developed a new way to inject medicine — through bacteria.
Scientists at MIT and the University of California at San Diego successfully engineered bacteria to deliver regular doses of an anti-cancer agent into tumors for a new study featured in the journal Nature, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The bacteria, when paired with a conventional cancer treatment, significantly shrank aggressive tumors in mice, reported MIT News.
The microbes are wired to detect how many other bacteria are in the environment. When the population reaches a set level, the bacteria break open in unison to release the anti-cancer agent deep into tumors — further than conventional chemotherapy drugs can reach.
While most of the bacteria die, some survive and grow to prepare for the next treatment session.
Researchers believe the injection technique could prove beneficial in treating diseases that require periodic dosing like diabetes and high blood pressure.
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