This technology is a 3D co-culture system that enables rapid, efficient screening of bacterial therapeutics for anti-cancer properties within the tumor microenvironment.
The use of specially selected or genetically engineered bacteria as anti-cancer therapeutics is a promising approach for cancer treatment. However, screening methods for engineered bacterial therapeutics remain limited, as conventional 2D cell monolayer models do not adequately recapitulate the complex 3D microenvironment of cancer tumors.
This technology is a high-throughput, 3D cell co-culture platform for characterization and screening of bacterial therapeutics. The 3D model recapitulates tumor cellular heterogeneity and tissue organization, as well as the natural structure of bacterial colonization and in vivo growth dynamics. This platform has the potential to provide more accurate prediction of the therapeutic potential of bacterial strain candidates, allowing for more cost-effective and efficient preclinical testing of microbial therapeutics. This technology can also be adapted to screen other therapeutics such as engineered immune cells, viruses, and probiotic cocktails, and is compatible with standard analysis techniques and time-lapse fluorescence microscopy.
This technology uncovered a potent therapy for colon cancer using theta toxin (bacterial toxin), as well as combinations of bacterial therapies that can further enhance anticancer efficacy.
Patent Pending
IR CU18370
Licensing Contact: Beth Kauderer