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Bacteria-based drug delivery for treating non-oncological diseases
Zhenping Cao1, Yan Pang2, Jun Pu3
1Shanghai Key Laboratory for Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Nanomedicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China.
Summary
Living bacteria are engineered as therapeutic agents for drug delivery, effectively treating non-oncological diseases in various body sites like the skin and gut. This review explores their potential and challenges for future medical applications.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Biotechnology
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Bacteria naturally colonize diverse human body sites, including skin, gut, and respiratory tract.
- Bacterial properties like rapid proliferation, colonization, and biomolecule production enable their use as therapeutic agents.
- Genetic engineering and surface modification offer flexibility in developing bacteria-based drug delivery systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of bacteria-based drug delivery systems.
- To explore applications in treating non-oncological diseases.
- To summarize key considerations for clinical translation.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of literature on bacteria-based drug delivery.
- Analysis of bacterial colonization sites (skin, GI, respiratory, urogenital tracts).
- Discussion of therapeutic applications in specific diseases (wound healing, IBD, respiratory diseases, vaginitis).
Main Results:
- Bacteria-based drug delivery shows promise for treating localized non-oncological diseases.
- Successful applications demonstrated in skin infections, inflammatory bowel disease, respiratory conditions, and vaginitis.
- Identified advantages and limitations of using living bacterial therapeutics.
Conclusions:
- Bacteria-based drug delivery systems offer a novel therapeutic approach for various non-oncological conditions.
- Further research is needed to address limitations and facilitate clinical translation.
- This review provides insights for developing next-generation bacteria-based therapeutics.
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