Scientists from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital used genetically altered stem cells in experiments on mice. The cells, covered with the gel, were placed in the places where the tumors were removed.
The modified cells produced and secreted the PE toxin typical of the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which blocks the production of proteins. The study confirmed that the toxin destroys cancerous tumors without damaging healthy tissue and without harming the toxin-producing stem cells themselves.
As lead author Dr. Khalid Shah of Massachusetts General Hospital emphasized in an interview with the BBC, previous attempts to use tumor-killing toxins have worked well for blood cancers, but not solid tumors, due to the more difficult access and rapid breakdown of toxins. By contrast, toxin-producing genetically altered stem cells should be effective in fighting tumors.
The next stage of research is to test this procedure in humans. Clinical trials should begin within five years. (PAP)