本期文章：《科学》：Volume 381 Issue 6658

美国加州大学圣迭戈分校Jeff Hasty等研究人员合作发现，工程化细菌可检测肿瘤DNA。相关论文发表在2023年8月11日出版的《科学》杂志上。

研究人员改造了具有自然能力的贝氏不动杆菌，用于检测来自结直肠癌（CRC）细胞、器官组织和肿瘤基因组的供体DNA。研究人员通过共培养试验在体外鉴定了生物传感器的功能，然后通过将传感器细菌送入携带结直肠肿瘤的小鼠体内进行了体内验证。

在小鼠CRC模型中，研究人员观察到了从肿瘤到传感细菌的水平基因转移。这种针对CRISPR区分水平基因转移（CATCH）的细胞检测方法能够对特定的无细胞DNA进行生物检测。

据了解，合成生物学已经开发出精密的细胞生物传感器，用于检测和应对人类疾病。然而，生物传感器尚未被设计用于检测特定的细胞外DNA序列和突变。

附：英文原文

Title: Engineered bacteria detect tumor DNA

Author: Robert M. Cooper, Josephine A. Wright, Jia Q. Ng, Jarrad M. Goyne, Nobumi Suzuki, Young K. Lee, Mari Ichinose, Georgette Radford, Feargal J. Ryan, Shalni Kumar, Elaine M. Thomas, Laura Vrbanac, Rob Knight, Susan L. Woods, Daniel L. Worthley, Jeff Hasty

Issue&Volume: 2023-08-11

Abstract: Synthetic biology has developed sophisticated cellular biosensors to detect and respond to human disease. However, biosensors have not yet been engineered to detect specific extracellular DNA sequences and mutations. Here, we engineered naturally competent Acinetobacter baylyi to detect donor DNA from the genomes of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells, organoids, and tumors. We characterized the functionality of the biosensors in vitro with coculture assays and then validated them in vivo with sensor bacteria delivered to mice harboring colorectal tumors. We observed horizontal gene transfer from the tumor to the sensor bacteria in our mouse model of CRC. This cellular assay for targeted, CRISPR-discriminated horizontal gene transfer (CATCH) enables the biodetection of specific cell-free DNA.

DOI: adf3974