Baylor Researchers Develop Bacteria-Based Cancer Drug Delivery

Modified Listeria bacteria used to transport cancer-killing proteins into tumor cells

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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Researchers at Baylor University have published a novel approach to fighting colorectal cancer, using genetically modified Listeria bacteria as a delivery vehicle to transport potent cancer-killing proteins into tumor cells. The team attached the toxin saporin to the surface of Listeria monocytogenes, which can penetrate human cells, as a way to deliver the cancer-killing agent directly to the target.

Why it matters

Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths, highlighting the importance of developing new treatment strategies. This research builds on the growing use of bacteria as tools in cancer therapy, leveraging Listeria's natural ability to infiltrate cells as a way to directly deliver cancer-killing payloads.

The details

The Baylor team, led by Professor Michael VanNieuwenhze, attached the toxin saporin to the surface of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. Listeria can naturally penetrate human cells, so by coupling it with the cancer-killing saporin, the researchers were able to deliver the toxin directly into tumor cells. Initial in vitro and in vivo testing in mice showed a significant increase in cancer cell toxicity using this approach.

  • The research was published in the journal Cell Chemical Biology on March 10, 2026.

The players

Michael S. VanNieuwenhze

University Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Biology at Baylor University, who led the research team.

Wyatt Paulishak

Baylor doctoral student who worked on the project.

Jianan Lyu

Baylor doctoral student who worked on the project.

Laurence Wood

Associate professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center who collaborated on the research.

Baylor University

A private Christian university in Waco, Texas, where the research was conducted.

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What they’re saying

“Our team asked the question, 'What if we could hook saporin on the surface of a bug and let the bug get delivered into the cell as it normally would?' We could then take advantage of chemistry inside the cell to release saporin to kill the cancer cell. That, in a nutshell, is what we were doing, and we were able to get it to work.”

— Michael S. VanNieuwenhze, University Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Biology at Baylor University (Cell Chemical Biology)

“What makes it so useful from a therapeutic perspective is that it is an intracellular bug, which gives it unique access to the compartments inside cells. As a living bug, we can modify it to make it safer and more effective. It further has a significant immunotherapy component to it and is naturally anti-cancer, and we look at it as a drug-delivery vehicle.”

— Wyatt Paulishak, Baylor doctoral student (Cell Chemical Biology)

“We did fluorescent imaging on the saporin to make sure it was really attached to the bacteria. That allowed us to reach proof of concept, to prove the delivery was doable – delivered into the cell types of interest. So, we moved to in vivo and in vitro testing in mice to see the anticancer activities – and it turns out we see a significant increase of toxicity with this approach.”

— Jianan Lyu, Baylor doctoral student (Cell Chemical Biology)

What’s next

With this initial phase of research completed, the team hopes to further build on their findings through genetic strategies that could make the process safer and more scalable, with the goal of eventually developing a therapeutic treatment for colorectal cancer.

The takeaway

This innovative approach to using modified bacteria as a drug delivery system represents a promising new avenue in the fight against colorectal cancer, a leading cause of cancer deaths. By harnessing Listeria's natural ability to infiltrate cells, the researchers have found a way to directly transport cancer-killing agents into tumor cells, potentially improving treatment outcomes.