Fight Against Cancer

Scientists are working on a theory that the salmonella bacteria which causes food poisoning could be used to attack cancer cells in the future.

This new field of cancer treatment is called “bacteriaotherapy” and there are hopes that a simply modified salmonella bug can target cancer cells, inducing the body to mount an anti-tumour immune response, without any risk of damage.

According to Cancer Research UK, the bacteria fits “like a Lego piece” on to the surface of immune cells, thereby starting a chain reaction which causes them to release molecules that can kill cancer. Although the studies have so far worked on mice, the next step is to test the theory on humans.