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.

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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

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article

Intravenous iRGD‐Guided, RBC‐Membrane Camouflaged Lactococcus Lactis Remodels Cold NSCLC and Enhances PD‐1 Blockade

Qinyi Chen, Baorui Liu, Zefen Xiao, Xinyin Zhang et al.
Advanced Science
Cancer Research and Treatments
article

Intravenous iRGD‐Guided, RBC‐Membrane Camouflaged Lactococcus Lactis Remodels Cold NSCLC and Enhances PD‐1 Blockade

Qinyi Chen, Baorui Liu, Zefen Xiao, Xinyin Zhang, Jie Shao, Aoxing Chen, Yi Mei, Lin Li, Chen Chen, Junmeng
article en

Abstract

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.

Advanced ScienceVol. 12(43)
Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital (CN), Jiangsu Cancer Hospital (CN)
Jiangsu Commission of Health, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Government of Jiangsu Province
Openalex Percentile: Top 71%
Cancer Research and Treatments
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