UK scientists using bacteria to make cancer drugs

Researchers at the University of Warwick are examining a way of using bacteria to manufacture a new suite of potential anti-cancer drugs that are difficult to create synthetically on a lab bench. The bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor naturally produce antibiotics called prodiginines. This group of antibiotics has stimulated much recent interest as they can be used to target and kill cancer cells. A synthetic prodiginine analogue called GX15-070 is currently in phase I and II cancer treatment trials. However, analogues of other prodiginines, such as streptorubin B, could be even more powerful anti-cancer tools, but they cannot currently be easily synthetically produced on a lab bench.

- here's the release on the cancer research