Progress in the application of the synergistic effects of nanomaterials and bacteria in tumor therapy

Abstract Bacterial therapy has become a hot field in cancer treatment, achieving good results in tumor treatment. However, the safety and stability of bacteria during tumor treatment have hindered their clinical application. With the rapid development of synthetic biology and nanobiotechnology in the medical field, bacterial therapy for tumors has received considerable interest. Using synthetic biology to reprogram bacteria, bacterial toxicity could be reduced, and their specific targeting capabilities and the safety of treatment could be improved. Nanobiotechnology also provides new design concepts for the bacterial therapy of tumors. The synergistic and complementary characteristics of nanomaterials and bacteria in tumor treatment promote their therapeutic activity in tumors. The combination of synthetic biology and nanobiotechnology can construct a biohybrid system that enhances antitumor effects, strengthens immunogenicity, and improves the challenges posed by purely bacterial treatments. This study aims to elucidate the deficiencies and research breakthroughs in three areas, namely, tumor treatment mediated by bacteria and nanomaterials, the complementary characteristics of bacteria and nanomaterials in tumor therapy, and the application of the cross-integration of nanomaterials and bacteria in tumor treatment. It will also provide a prospective outlook on future development.