Salmonella Biomimetic\nNanoparticles for Photothermal-Chemotherapy of Colorectal Cancer

Nanomedicines have been widely used in colorectal cancer\ntreatment,\nbut their suboptimal targeting and deficient penetration capabilities\nremain obstacles in the delivery of therapeutics. In this study, inspired\nby the natural tumor tropism and intestinal invasion of Salmonella, we engineered highly biomimetic nanoparticles\n(SM-AuNRs) utilizing a Salmonella membrane\nto coat bacilliform Au nanorods. The engineered SM-AuNRs were able\nto mimic the germ’s morphology and biological surface. SM-AuNRs\ncontaining the specific proteins inherited from the Salmonella membrane facilitated specific targeting\nand internalization into tumor cells. Meanwhile, SM-AuNRs with the\nrod-shaped morphology effectively traversed mucus barriers and tumor\nstroma. Due to the superior biological barrier penetrating and tumor\ntargeting capabilities, doxorubicin-loaded SM-AuNRs with near-infrared\nlaser irradiation displayed remarkable photothermal-chemotherapeutic\nantitumor effects in mouse orthotopic colorectal cancer models. Our\nfindings pave the way for the design of bacteria-mimicking nanoparticles,\npresenting a promising avenue for the targeting and efficient treatment\nof colorectal cancer.