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What if preventing cancer in high-risk children didn’t come in a pill—but in a programmed microbe?

Our newest initiative, B.A.D. (Bugs As Drugs), harnesses engineered gut microbes to intercept colorectal cancer at the source—before it can even begin, and math to objectively track cancer risk.

🧪 About the origin of the ‘B.A.D Bugs as Drugs’ program: Led by a transdisciplinary team of experts at UC San Diego—Drs. Dennis Kuo, Amir Zarrinpar, Pradipta Ghosh and collaborators—and funded by CureBound Inc, this program seeks to put to the test a radical concept, originally innovated by the Zarrinpar Lab: that engineered native bacteria (ENB; built with support from an NIH U01 mechanism (NCI) can be designed to detect and correct cellular dysfunctions that drive colorectal cancer (CRC) in patients with inherited predispositions, like Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) and Lynch Syndrome.

At the heart of this work is HUMANOID™, a unique biobank of patient-derived organoids (PDOs) that harbor real-world genetic predispositions. These PDOs offer human-relevant models that surpass what mice can replicate—capturing both complex genetic factors and the microbial dynamics that shape cancer risk. The biobank was originally built with support from an NIH UG3/UH3 mechanism (NCATS) and bolstered by the dedication of physician-scientist Dr. Sherry Huang (former UC San Diego Associate Dean and now Vice Provost at UT Southwestern) and continues through efforts of Dr. Dennis Kuo and Dr. Nidhi Goyal. This biobank will now be leveraged to study how engineered bacteria might reshape the gut ecosystem in real time, simulating the high-stakes biological duel that unfolds as ENBs colonize and correct. These bugs don’t just coexist—they surveil, intervene, and restore balance with a single, sustainable dose. Together with personalized diagnostics, this approach could redefine what cancer prevention looks like—especially for children at highest risk.

Together with AI/ML-driven analyses, this platform doesn’t just model CRC risk—it measures how precisely ENBs can reduce it.

The result: a potentially transformative approach to cancer prevention, especially for children carrying the highest inherited risk.

✔️ One-and-Done Dosing: A single administration delivers lasting therapeutic effects
🧠 Synthetic Smarts: Engineered to detect and respond to oncogenic changes in real time
🧬 Native Bacterial Hosts: Minimally invasive, with high biological compatibility
🧫 Tested on Organoids: Personalized in real time using patient-derived cells
🎯 Designed for Precision: Integrates human gene signatures with microbial modulators

This bold initiative goes beyond discovery—it's about building the future of preventive medicine and redefining cancer care, especially as colorectal cancer rates are skyrocketing in young adults. 

1.Can we prevent colon adenomas in children with a 100% lifetime risk of CRC (e.g., FAP)?

2.How can synthetic biology turn gut bacteria into long-term therapeutic allies?

3.Will this microbial therapy reduce the need for invasive preventive surgeries like colectomies?

4.Can we generalize this platform for other genetically predisposed cancers?

Program team (from Left to Right): Dennis Kuo [PED], Pradipta Ghosh [MED, CMM], Amir Zarrinpar [MED], Courtney Tindle [CMM], Saptarshi Sinha [CMM] and Nidhi Goyal [PED].

If successful, this approach could revolutionize preventive medicine, offering the first-ever sustainable therapy for inherited CRC syndromes. It opens the door to a future where “bugs as drugs” become the new norm for preventing cancers and chronic diseases—especially in children. Efforts are also expected to help launch new interdisciplinary initiatives at the crossroads of leverage synthetic biology and PDOs.

This project touches multiple CureBound investment pillars:
🩺 Prevention & Diagnostic Tools
🧬 Novel Therapeutics & Platforms
🧒 Pediatric Cancers

Stay tuned for updates as we move from lab bench to preclinical models—toward the first microbe-based cancer prevention therapy. Got an idea on how you can use organoids? Contact: Courtney Tindle at ctindle@health.ucsd.edu

🚀 HUMANOID™: Meet Us at Phase Zero.

Schedule Services Now: iLab Organizer :: The Institute for Network Medicine (ilabsolutions.com)

So, what are you waiting for? Get in touch with the UC San Diego HUMANOID™ Center today and let’s redefine the future of drug discovery together! 🚀

Stay curious, stay innovative, and let's create a healthier world! 🌍