Engineering tumor-colonizing E. coli Nissle 1917 for detection and treatment of colorectal neoplasia

Bioengineered probiotics enable new opportunities to improve colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, prevention and treatment. Here, first, we demonstrate selective colonization of colorectal adenomas after oral delivery of probiotic E. coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) to a genetically-engineered murine model of CRC predisposition and orthotopic models of CRC. We next undertake an interventional, double-blind, dual-centre, prospective clinical trial, in which CRC patients take either placebo or EcN for two weeks prior to resection of neoplastic and adjacent normal colorectal tissue (ACTRN12619000210178). We detect enrichment of EcN in tumor samples over normal tissue from probiotic-treated patients (primary outcome of the…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Award: 1644869
• CR
  Cancer Research Institute

  Award: CRI 3446
• SA
  South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute
• GO
  Government of South Australia
• GS
  Gastroenterological Society of Australia
• UO
  University of Adelaide
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Awards: U01CA247573, R01CA24916
• MR
  Medical Research Council
• NH
  National Health and Medical Research Council
• CC
  Cancer Council South Australia

  Award: MCF0418