Engineering bacterial outer membrane vesicles synergetically boost superactivated anti-tumor immunity induced by...

The antitumor immune response induced by nuclear DNA damage from radiotherapy is emerging as a promising strategy, with cGAS accumulation in micronuclei triggering intracellular inflammatory pathways. However, radiotherapy-induced DNA damage also activates the DNA damage response (DDR), which suppresses antitumor inflammation. To address this, we developed an innovative "particle capsule" nanosystem that amplifies DNA damage while inhibiting the DDR. Magnetite nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ NPs) are "devoured" by bacteria through ABC transporter channels and then packaged with the ATR inhibitor VE822 inside OMVs engineered with iRGD tumor-homing peptides. This design enables efficient penetration across tumor tissue and the blood-brain barrier, facilitating deep tumor delivery. The system leverages the synergistic effects of Fe₃O₄-driven Fenton reactions for enhanced hydroxyl radical (•OH) production and ATR inhibition for DNA repair blockade, resulting in sustained DNA damage and DDR suppression. In addition, the intrinsic immunostimulatory properties of OMVs activate innate immune pathways, synergistically boosting antitumor immunity. Consequently, this strategy reduces tumor radioresistance, reactivates DNA damage-induced inflammation, promotes effector T cell infiltration, and overcomes challenges posed by irregular tumor vasculature and poor lymphatic drainage, ultimately achieving significant tumor growth inhibition and a superior antitumor immune response in mice.