Intravenous iRGD‐Guided, RBC‐Membrane Camouflaged <i>Lactococcus Lactis</i> Remodels Cold NSCLC and Enhances PD‐1 Blockade
Resistance to programmed-death-1/programmed-death-ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) blockade in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) arises mainly from weak tumor immunogenicity and limited effector T-cell infiltration. Here, this work presents an intravenously deliverable "living medicine" that addresses these barriers through biomimetic cloaking, tumor-penetrating guidance, and synthetic-biology-driven cytokine release. Lactococcus lactis is engineered to co-secrete Flt3L and OX40L (FOLactis) and then camouflage with red-blood-cell membranes, producing long-circulating mRBC@FOLactis. Conjugation of the iRGD peptide (iRGD-mRBC@FOLactis) enables trans-endothelial migration and deep (≥200 µm) interstitial penetration, yielding a fourfold increase in intratumorally bacterial accumulation versus unmodified FOLactis. In the orthotopic Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) model, a single intravenous dose of iRGD-mRBC@FOLactis combined with anti-PD-1 antibody achieves complete tumor regression in 60% of mice, doubles median survival (p < 0.001), and generates systemic tumor-specific immune memory. Mechanistically, local Flt3L and OX40L secretion expands cross-presenting dendritic cells (DCs), boosts CD8⁺ T-cell priming, and converts immunologically "cold" tumors into inflamed, T-cell-rich lesions, thereby overcoming primary resistance to checkpoint blockade. This multifunctional probiotic platform establishes a generalizable strategy for systemic delivery of living therapeutics and offers a powerful adjunct to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade for NSCLC and other treatment-resistant solid tumors.
Authors
- Qinyi Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2912-2728)
- Baorui Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2539-7732)
- Zefen Xiao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0503-6814)
- Xinyin Zhang
- Jie Shao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9212-9685)
- Aoxing Chen
- Yi Mei (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0682-1363)
- Lin Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2158-7096)
- Chen Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3646-1813)
- Junmeng
Institutions
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital (CN)
- Jiangsu Cancer Hospital (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Science
- Published
- 2025-10-03
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202509604
- Primary Topic
- Cancer Research and Treatments
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Jiangsu Commission of Health
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Government of Jiangsu Province