Engineering Bacteria and Bionic Bacterial Derivatives with Nanoparticles for Cancer Therapy

Area of Science:

• Synthetic biology and nanomedicine
• Cancer immunotherapy
• Microbial therapeutics

Background:

• Natural bacteria possess unique tumor-targeting capabilities and can thrive in hypoxic tumor environments.
• Genetically engineered bacteria (e.g., with msbB and aroA gene modifications) demonstrate enhanced tumor penetration and biosafety.
• Bacteria can secrete cytokines like interleukin-224, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), and interleukin-1β to stimulate antitumor immunity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review bacteria-instructed multimodal synergistic cancer therapy strategies.
• To highlight the advantages of combining bacteria-based agents with other therapeutic modalities.
• To discuss current challenges and future directions in bacteria-based cancer nanomedicines.

Main Methods:

• Review of representative studies on bacteria-instructed multimodal synergistic cancer therapy.
• Systematic exposition of key advantages of these combined approaches.
• Emphasis on synthetic biology applications in bacteria-based cancer therapy.

Main Results:

• Bacteria-based agents can effectively deliver antitumor agents to deep tumor tissues.
• Engineered bacteria activate antitumor immune responses within the tumor microenvironment, leading to tumor inhibition.
• Multimodal strategies (e.g., photothermal therapy, chemoimmunotherapy) show synergistic antitumor effects.

Conclusions:

• Bacteria-based micro/nanomedicines represent a promising platform for synergistic cancer therapy.
• Further advancements in synthetic biology are crucial for developing next-generation bacteria-based cancer treatments.
• The integration of bacteria with other therapies holds significant potential for improving cancer treatment outcomes.