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Cancer Research and Treatments · Journal article
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology · August 8, 2026
Early or partial results. Treat as a signal, not a conclusion.
This is a bench-top proof-of-concept study showing that Escherichia coli-derived bacterial ghosts loaded with fenugreek extract enhance cytotoxicity against two breast cancer cell lines in culture through modulation of apoptosis and cancer signalling pathways. The work demonstrates a viable delivery platform and mechanism but provides no evidence of efficacy in animal models or humans, and lacks comparison to established anticancer agents.
In vitro cell line cytotoxicity and mechanistic study. Two human breast cancer cell lines: MDA-MB-231 and ZR-75-1; in vitro cultures.. Intervention: Fenugreek extract-loaded E. coli bacterial ghosts (FEE-loaded BGs), with loading capacity 14 µg/mg and entrapment efficiency 21%.. Compared with: Free fenugreek extract and heat-killed E. coli (HKEc) loaded with extract (11.6 µg/mg loading, 13.4% entrapment)..
Bacterial ghosts achieved 92% reduction in optical density with loading capacity of 14 µg/mg and entrapment efficiency of 21% Fenugreek extract-loaded bacterial ghosts (FEE-BGs) reduced IC₅₀ from 2.2 to 1.2 mg/mL in MDA-MB-231 cells and from 1.74 to 0.87 mg/mL in ZR-75-1 cells compared to free extract Sustained release showed only 14% released after 4 h at pH 7.4 from BGs versus 90% for free extract
No in vivo animal model studies reported; efficacy and safety in living organisms unknown. No sample size, replication number, or statistical analysis (p-values, confidence intervals) reported for cytotoxicity or signalling data.
This work is preclinical and provides no direct clinical guidance. Clinicians should recognize that while bacterial ghost carriers are conceptually interesting for drug delivery, efficacy must be demonstrated in animal models and clinical trials before considering therapeutic application. The findings support further development but do not inform current breast cancer treatment.
In vitro mechanistic study demonstrating enhanced cytotoxicity of a bacterial ghost delivery system loaded with fenugreek extract in breast cancer cell lines, but lacking in vivo validation, clinical translation, or comparison to standard therapeutics.
As stated by the source record.
Quoted from the source exactly as published.
This work is preclinical and provides no direct clinical guidance. Clinicians should recognize that while bacterial ghost carriers are conceptually interesting for drug delivery, efficacy must be demonstrated in animal models and clinical trials before considering therapeutic application. The findings support further development but do not inform current breast cancer treatment.
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Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women and remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Recently, bacteria-based delivery systems have emerged as promising strategies for targeted cancer therapy due to their biocompatibility, low systemic toxicity, and ability to overcome drug resistance. In this study, bacterial ghosts (BGs) derived from Escherichia coli DH5-α were successfully prepared using a modified sponge-like reduced protocol, achieving approximately 92% reduction in optical density and releasing 246.3 ± 5.46 µg/mL DNA and 2.5 ± 0.054 mg/mL proteins, confirming efficient cytoplasmic evacuation. Heat-killed E. coli (HKEc) was prepared via thermal inactivation. Ethanolic extract of fenugreek seeds (Trigonella foenum-graecum) was obtained with a yield of 14% and characterized by GC-MS, identifying 26 bioactive compounds, including linoleic acid ethyl ester (19.39%) and β-sitosterol (14.14%). LC-MS/MS analysis further confirmed the presence of key metabolites such as trigonelline, diosgenin, orientin, and vitexin. The extract was successfully loaded into BGs and HKEc with loading capacities of 14 µg/mg and 11.6 µg/mg, and entrapment efficiencies of 21% and 13.4%, respectively. In vitro release studies demonstrated sustained release behavior from BGs, with only 14% released after 4 h at pH 7.4 compared to 90% for free extract, indicating effective controlled delivery. Cytotoxicity analysis using the WST-1 assay revealed enhanced anticancer activity of FEE-loaded BGs, with IC₅₀ values of 1.2 mg/mL in MDA-MB-231 and 0.87 mg/mL in ZR-75-1 cells, compared to 2.2 and 1.74 mg/mL for free extract, respectively. Mechanistically, treatment resulted in significant downregulation of STAT3, mTOR, and β-catenin, alongside upregulation of STAT5, and a twofold increase in caspase-3 activity, confirming apoptosis induction. Overall, these findings highlight E. coli-derived bacterial ghosts as an effective and low-cost delivery platform for plant-derived anticancer compounds, offering enhanced therapeutic efficacy and controlled release for breast cancer treatment. KEY POINTS: • Escherichia coli ghosts are safe, versatile carriers with high drug-loading capacity. • E. coli ghosts enhance natural extract delivery, improving anticancer efficacy and targeting. • Fenugreek extract-loaded E. coli ghosts modulate key cancer pathways.
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