Programmable encapsulation systems to improve delivery of therapeutic bacteria
Funded at Columbia Univ New York Morningside · NIH-11387818 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to help people with cancer by using engineered probiotic bacteria that home to tumors and release therapy directly where it’s needed.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia Univ New York Morningside NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $609,578 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EB034302-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11387818 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with triple-negative breast cancer, especially those with metastatic disease, who may later participate in related clinical work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients unlikely to benefit are those without breast cancer or those not eligible for experimental bacterial therapy approaches.
What this research studies
This grant explores engineering bacteria that can selectively colonize breast cancer tumors and locally release therapeutic agents. The work focuses on creating encapsulation systems to improve intravenous delivery of these bacteria while keeping patients safe. The goal is to develop clinic-ready strains that efficiently reach tumors and deliver high doses of therapy with controlled safety. The approach combines synthetic biology with tumor-targeting strategies to overcome current immunotherapy limitations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to more effective breast cancer treatments with fewer systemic side effects by concentrating therapy inside tumors.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work showed limited tumor colonization with IV-administered bacteria, indicating both challenges and potential for improvement with encapsulation and targeting.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia Univ New York Morningside
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Danino, Tal — Columbia Univ New York Morningside
- Study coordinator: Danino, Tal
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Anga Center for Community Health and Well-being
A community-focused program from Columbia University aims to strengthen mental health and resilience in East Africa and other at-risk communities by partnering with local centers and using evidence-based approaches.
-
Anga Center for Community Health and Well-being: building resilience to extreme weather in Africa and beyond
A program to help communities cope with the mental health effects of extreme weather by partnering with African regions and local centers to develop practical, evidence-based support.
-
A crowdsourced, survivor-led approach to boost HIV/STI/HCV testing and overdose-prevention service use for sex trafficking survivors in NYC
A NYC-based study tests a survivor-driven digital messaging approach and at-home tests to help sex trafficking survivors increase HIV/STI/HCV testing and use overdose-prevention resources.
-
How RNA binding proteins shape when and how genes are used
A research project at Columbia aims to map how RNA binding proteins interact with RNAs to control gene activity, with potential insights for diseases involving gene regulation.
-
Crowdsourced digital messaging to boost syphilis and HIV testing for women in NYC and rural Alabama
A community-driven project tests whether crowdsourced digital messages can encourage women, especially women of color and Native American women, to get syphilis, HIV, and STI tests.
-
Infant brain stiffness imaging using a sleep-friendly MR elastography framework
A new MRI-based method called NeoWave aims to map how young infant brains develop by measuring tissue stiffness during natural sleep.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.