Modern cancer therapies include technologies at the cutting edge of genomics, proteomics, and immunology. Researchers in Canada have now taken a step closer to deploying an anti-cancer therapy that involves something a little more natural — tumor-hungry bacteria.

The bacterium at the center of this unusual approach to fighting tumors is the soil-loving Clostridium sporogenes. This bacterium can only thrive in an environment completely devoid of oxygen. This means that the regions deep inside a tumor are like home turf.

While the bacterium has some genetic limitations that prevent it from realizing its anticancer potential, a pair of recent studies demonstrated advances that could make C. sporogenes a viable therapeutic option.