Clostridium novyi-NT

Clostridium novyi-NT is an attenuated, non-toxigenic strain of the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium novyi developed for cancer therapy. Upon intravenous or intratumoral administration, C. novyi-NT spores selectively germinate in hypoxic regions of solid tumors—areas with low oxygen that are common in many cancers but rare in normal tissues. Once germinated, the bacteria directly lyse tumor cells through secretion of extracellular enzymes such as phospholipase C and lipases, which disrupt cell membranes and induce cytotoxicity. In addition to direct oncolysis, C. novyi-NT stimulates host immune responses against tumor cells by acting as an adjuvant and triggering inflammatory reactions that may involve both innate and adaptive immunity (including CD8+ T cell-mediated responses). The α-toxin gene has been removed from this strain to reduce toxicity to normal tissue[1][2][5][6]. Clostridium novyi-NT is under investigation primarily for the treatment of solid tumors including glioblastoma, sarcoma, colorectal cancer, and other refractory malignant neoplasms[3][4][7]. It was initially developed at Johns Hopkins University.

Other names

clostridium novyi nt spores