Bacteria (blue) carrying nanoparticle cargos (green) are efficient DNA dwellers.
BASHIR/MACMILLAN
Viruses, bacteria, and nanoparticles are used to deliver DNA to cells. But when used in the body, each delivery vehicle has its limitations. Nanoparticles have the advantage of delivering large copy numbers of DNA molecules. But because of their size and limited targeting ability, they cannot access tissues effectively and thus have a poor efficiency.
Bacteria, on the other hand, are inefficient DNA carriers that can hold only one copy of the DNA cargo per cell. However, bacteria are active microorganisms and can penetrate solid tumors—particularly tricky tissue for passive viral or nanoparticle vectors to access, explains Bashir.
Now, Akin et al. have developed a system whereby active bacteria carry...
