Nanotechnology-Employed Bacteria-Based Delivery Strategy for Enhanced Anticancer Therapy

Zixuan Ye,1,* Lizhen Liang,1,* Huazhen Lu,1 Yan Shen,2 Wenwu Zhou,3 Yanan Li1 1School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 2State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Center for Research Development and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Excipients and Generic Drugs, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 3National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yanan LiSchool of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +8615051850598Email liyanan@njnu.edu.cnWenwu ZhouNational Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail dancingzww@163.comAbstract: Bacteria and their derivatives (membrane vesicles, MVs) exhibit great advantages for targeting hypoxic tumor cores, strong penetration ability and activating immune responses, holding great potential as auspicious candidates for therapeutic and drug-delivery applications. However, the safety issues and low therapeutic efficiency by single administration still need to be solved. To further optimize their performance and to utilize their natural abilities, scientists have strived to modify bacteria with new moieties on their surface while preserving their advantages. The aim of this review is to give a comprehensive overview of a non-genetic engineering modification strategy that can be used to optimize the bacteria with nanomaterials and the design strategy that can be used to optimize MVs for better targeted therapy. Here, the advantages and disadvantages of these processes and their applicability for the development of bacteria-related delivery system as antitumor therapeutic agents are discussed. The prospect and the challenges of the above targeted delivery system are also proposed.Keywords: bacteria, nanomaterial, targeted delivery, immune response, membrane vesicles