Scientists have turned a common disease-causing microbe into a potential lifesaver. Salmonella bacteria are best known for causing severe food poisoning, resulting in nausea, fever, and diarrhea. But scientists in South Korea recently modified a harmless version of the microbe to destroy cancerous tumors—masses of abnormal cells—in mice.
A tumor forms when DNA inside a cell develops certain mutations. These changes cause the cell to divide uncontrollably. The body’s immune system, which normally defends against diseases, doesn’t recognize the tumor as a threat because it’s made of the body’s own cells.