A Bay Area biotech company is poised to create a revolution in treating cancer and preventing infectious diseases with a new bacteria-based vaccine.

Experts said the concept of immunization with bacteria is still early in research, but the approach seems very promising.

Berkeley's Aduro Biotech is using the body's natural immune system, but in a new way to trigger an immune response.

The process begins with bacteria called Listeria that are known to be infectious to human cells.

Aduro genetically alters Listeria to make it safe and to churn out a special protein called an antigen, which are immunogenic proteins of the specific disease to be treated.

“It acts as a little protein factory that generates many copies of the protein, which then stimulates the immune system to respond,” explained Aduro Biotech’s Stephen Isaacs.

Responding T cells seek out and destroy the antigens. It is this T cell response that can be targeted to a disease by engineering the appropriate expressed antigen into the vaccine or immunotherapy.

The company is working on a hepatitis vaccine as well as vaccines for prostate, lung, ovarian and liver cancer so far.

UCSF cancer immunologist Lewis Lanier, who is not affiliated with Aduro Biotech, called the Listeria “one of the most promising” he has seen.

He said in some cancer treatments, initial therapy often leaves residual cancer cells. Those residual cells cause cancer to spread, which is what usually kills patients.

“The immune system might be really good at cleaning up those few residual cells,” said Lanier.

Aduro said early trials show altered Listeria quickly infects human cells, triggers and immune response but does not cause disease itself.

More trials are planned for about 18 months from now. If all goes well, vaccines may be available in five years and cancer may become a chronic manageable disease.