Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 25, 2025
10:53
Optogenetic Stimulation of the Auditory Nerve
Published on: October 8, 2014
14.8K
Bioengineered bacterial vesicles for optoacoustics-guided phototherapy
Vipul Gujrati1, Vasilis Ntziachristos1
1Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging (IBMI), Helmholtz Zentrum München (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany.
Methods in Enzymology
|August 6, 2021
Summary
Bioengineered bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) loaded with melanin enable optoacoustics-guided cancer diagnosis and photothermal therapy. These biocompatible vesicles offer a promising platform for advanced theranostic applications.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Nanomedicine
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are biocompatible, biodegradable, and scalable nanocarriers.
- Engineered OMVs show potential in gene therapy, immunotherapy, and vaccine delivery.
- Optoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy offer non-invasive diagnostic and therapeutic modalities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop bioengineered OMVs for optoacoustics-guided phototherapy (theranostics).
- To functionalize OMVs with melanin for enhanced optoacoustic signal generation and photothermal conversion.
- To validate the efficacy of engineered OMVs in vitro and in vivo for cancer theranostics.
Main Methods:
- Detailed protocols for OMVs preparation and characterization.
- In vitro and in vivo validation of engineered OMVs.
- Incorporation of melanin into OMVs for optoacoustic and photothermal properties.
Main Results:
- Engineered OMVs successfully carried the biopolymer melanin.
- Melanin-loaded OMVs generated strong optoacoustic (OA) signals upon near-infrared (NIR) light absorption.
- Engineered OMVs demonstrated efficient photothermal conversion, leading to cancer cell death in vitro and enabling in vivo therapy.
Conclusions:
- Bioengineered OMVs loaded with melanin are effective theranostic agents.
- This approach enables optoacoustics-guided cancer diagnosis and photothermal therapy.
- Engineered OMVs represent a promising platform for advanced biomedical applications.
