Inhibition of acute leukemia with attenuated Salmonella typhimurium strain VNP20009.

As shown in the graphical abstract of this study, the attenuated strain of Salmonella, VNP20009, induces the apoptosis of acute leukemia cells by upregulated expression of apoptosis-promoting protein, Bax and cleaved caspase-3 to kill leukemia cells. Furthermore, the treatment of VNP20009 induced anti-tumor immune responses mediated by various cytokines & chemokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α, LIF, CXCL-10, CCL-2) and immune cells (NK cells, T lymphocytes, CD4+ IFN-γ+ and CD8+ IFN-γ+ effector T cells). VNP20009 activates the immune system, leading to the development of a strong and effective anti-tumor systemic response and tumor remission in acute leukemia. It may be applied as a stand alone or in combination with other therapies, to better treat acute leukemia or other hematologic malignancies.