A team of undergraduate students at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata has taken a groundbreaking step in cancer research by developing a strain of “friendly bacteria” that can safely and effectively combat cancer from inside the human body. Alongside, they are creating a detection system to monitor the therapy’s progress in real-time—ushering in a new era of integrated therapeutic and diagnostic cancer care.
ReSET: Reprogramming the Tumour Microenvironment
As reported by The Hindu, the project, titled ReSET (Reprogramming the Suppressive Environment of Tumour Microenvironment), addresses one of the most persistent challenges in cancer therapy—the tumour’s ability to evade the body’s immune system.
Cancer cells often manipulate the body’s immune response by recruiting T regulatory cells (Tregs), which suppress natural immune activity. This makes conventional treatments like chemotherapy and immunotherapy less effective.
To overcome this, the IISER Kolkata team adopted a bold, synthetic biology approach—engineering probiotics capable of detecting tumours and neutralising the suppressive influence of Tregs. By reactivating the immune system, these engineered microbes act as living, targeted medicines that can function within the patient’s body to fight cancer more precisely and safely.
From Lab to Life: Integrating Human Practices
Moving beyond the laboratory, the students have deeply integrated human practices into their design process. They engaged with oncologists, surgeons, cancer survivors, and NGOs to ensure their innovation remains ethical, patient-centred, and socially relevant.
Additionally, they conducted awareness campaigns in schools, partnered with hair donation and cancer support groups, and organized public outreach programs to spread knowledge about cancer prevention and innovative research in India. These community interactions helped refine the project’s scientific and ethical dimensions while inspiring trust and awareness among the public.
Empowering India’s Young Scientists
The team’s work goes beyond being a scientific prototype—it stands as a proof of concept that India’s young researchers can drive world-class innovation in biotechnology.
“By targeting the Tregs pathway with engineered bacteria, we aim to introduce a completely new class of cancer therapeutics—one that redefines how cancer is treated globally,” the team stated.
Global Recognition: Representing India at iGEM 2025
This pioneering project has earned the team a place at the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Grand Jamboree 2025, the world’s largest synthetic biology competition, to be held in Paris in October 2025. The IISER Kolkata team of 11 undergraduate students will represent not just their institute but the spirit of Indian scientific innovation on a global stage.
In essence, the ReSET project signifies more than a leap in cancer research—it embodies the power of interdisciplinary thinking, compassion, and youth-led innovation in tackling one of the world’s most formidable diseases.