Wikipedia -WSS

Wikipedia

author：leisure time 2025-09-27 16:36:30 - browse：1

The bacterium A. baylyi was engineered to detect a common cancer mutation. Courtesy of Josephine Wright

Dan Worthley, a gastroenterologist and cancer scientist at Colonoscopy Clinic in Brisbane, Australia, does thousands of colonoscopies a year, seeking and destroying precancerous polyps. It’s a practically surefire way to prevent colorectal cancer, but an unpleasant experience for patients. The future, Worthley hopes, will be much less onerous — and he’s developing a technology that, if it works one day, might make the experience more of a piece of cake.

Or, rather, a cup of yogurt — containing engineered bacteria that can detect and deliver a treatment for colorectal polyps or cancer. Worthley and colleagues at the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Adelaide published results in Science on Thursday that show they are one step closer to that far-off dream. In their paper, the researchers show a proof-of-concept engineered bacterium that can detect cancer DNA in the guts of mice and react to it by turning on certain cellular circuitry.

“I think it’s really cool. It introduces a new concept for how you can use cells as a sensor for something happening inside other cells,” said Mikhail Shapiro, a chemical and medical engineer at the California Institute of Technology who did not work on the study. “That can flip a switch inside those cells. In this case, it’s used for diagnostic output, but in principle it could be used for other things.”

Unlock this article by subscribing to STAT+ and enjoy your first 30 days free!

GET STARTED Log In

Previous article： FDA approval of Sarepta Duchenne genetic therapy gives me hope
Next article： Former reverend arrested for allegedly killing 8

hotspot

WSS

New lawsuit accuses health insurer Cigna of denying claims in bulk

Device maker Teleflex to acquire urology company for $600M

White House drug shortage group privately met with industry

CDC Director Mandy Cohen on transparency, trust, and health

What Henrietta Lacks settlement says about racism in medicine

What to watch for from Zogenix and Amicus clinical trials

hotspot

Wikipedia

Wikipedia

Moonlake's readout produced a cash windfall. Risks remain

Democrats decry new health bill for going easy on private equity

Wildfire smoke exposes gaps in outdoor worker protections

Humana, CVS hope to turn members into patients at clinics

Supreme Court strikes down use of affirmative action

How doctors’ personal politics affect patients

Malaria cases in Florida and Texas: Here’s what you need to know

White House drug shortage group privately met with industry

23andMe had bad news about my health. I wish a person had delivered it

ER docs worry over extreme heat as a 'mass casualty event'

hotspot

OTC birth control: A brief history of over the counter pill design

Trump drops motion seeking removal of DA probing efforts to overturn 2020 election in Georgia

CDC Director Mandy Cohen on transparency, trust, and health

Mega Millions jackpot rises to record $1.55 billion for Tuesday's drawing

Device maker Teleflex to acquire urology company for $600M

What Henrietta Lacks settlement says about racism in medicine

hotspot

explore

hotspot

explore