Multi-biologics-secreting probiotics for tumor eradication
Cancer's drug resistance and immune evasion tendencies present significant treatment challenges. A research team led by Dr. Yun Mou and Dr. Che-Ming Hu at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, has developed a probiotic vector capable of delivering multiple immunotherapeutic proteins. This vector penetrates tumors, releasing various anti-cancer fusion proteins to achieve tumor destruction and enhance anti-cancer immunity.
The lead investigator, Dr. Cheng-Hao Liu employed genetic engineering to load the probiotic vector with functionalities including cancer cell-targeting ligand, cell perforation proteins, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and immune-stimulatory cytokines. The bacterial vector's safety was also enhanced for high-dose intravenous injection. This design addresses complex issues in multi-target cancer therapies, such as regulatory, logistical, and pharmacokinetic challenges, allowing for large-scale production of combination therapies via a single vector for direct injection and targeted tumor delivery. This research has been published on October 22, 2024 in Cell Reports Medicine . Dr. Yun Mou passed away in August 2023. Future correspondence can be addressed to Dr. Che-Ming Hu.
Article link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666379124005408?via%3Dihub