What is the proposed mechanism of action of Saltikva?

Salspera proposes three steps, each shown in its published animal studies:

1. 1.the bacteria colonize solid tumors;
2. 2.they carry the human IL-2 gene and make IL-2 inside the tumor, acting as a micro-factory rather than delivering the protein;
3. 3.that IL-2 activates immune cells, including NK cells and cytotoxic T cells, a known IL-2 mechanism.

According to preclinical studies, Saltikva® acts locally, without systemic exposure, and the engineered bacteria likely compete with the tumor for essential nutrients, thereby starving it.

In a mouse breast-cancer study, adding Saltikva let researchers cut the chemotherapy (doxorubicin) dose by 75% and still kill as many tumor cells as the full dose. Tumor colonization and immune-cell changes were not measured in Phase 2 patients.