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Upconversion Optogenetic Engineered Bacteria System for Time-Resolved Imaging Diagnosis and Light-Controlled Cancer
Yingying Zhang1, Xin Xue2, Mingxi Fang1
1School of Medical Imaging, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, People's Republic of China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|October 6, 2022
Summary
Engineered bacteria combined with upconversion nanoparticles offer precise colorectal cancer diagnosis and light-activated therapy. This theranostic system enhances tumor visualization and triggers cancer cell death upon blue light exposure.
Area of Science:
- Synthetic biology
- Nanotechnology
- Cancer research
Background:
- Bacterial therapy offers targeted cancer treatment.
- Accurate tumor diagnosis and treatment visualization are crucial for efficacy.
- Synthetic biology enables engineering bacteria for specific functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a light-controlled engineered bacteria system for colorectal cancer theranostics.
- To utilize upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) for enhanced tumor diagnosis via time-resolved imaging (TRI).
- To achieve light-induced bacterial lysis and targeted drug delivery for cancer therapy.
Main Methods:
- Constructed engineered bacteria (EcN-pDawn-φx174E/TRAIL) and modified UCNPs with folic acid and EcN.
- Co-localized UCNPs and bacteria in tumor tissues for improved TRI-based diagnosis.
- Used blue light to induce bacterial lysis and release of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL).
Main Results:
- The system achieved accurate tumor diagnosis and light-controlled cancer therapy.
- Engineered bacteria with blue light irradiation inhibited 53% of tumor growth, compared to 11.8% without light.
- Demonstrated successful co-localization of UCNPs and bacteria in tumor tissues.
Conclusions:
- The developed engineered bacteria system provides a novel approach for intelligent bacterial therapy.
- This system advances cancer theranostics by integrating diagnosis and light-controlled treatment.
- The UCNP-mediated TRI enhances diagnostic accuracy in bacterial cancer therapy.
