Energy-assisted CRISPR cleavage and probiotic vesicle signaling platform: Microbiome reprogramming for homeostasis
Pathogenic infections drive microbial dysbiosis and persistent inflammation, posing therapeutic challenges due to difficulties in precise pathogen eradication and microbiome restoration. Although CRISPR-based therapeutics enable pathogen-specific antibacterial targeting, their effectiveness in treating pathogenic infections is constrained by difficulties in navigating complex microbial ecosystems, penetrating pathogenic barriers, sustaining energy-intensive intracellular cleavage, and, critically, restoring microbial balance after pathogen clearance. Here, we engineer a probiotic vesicle-synergized CRISPR platform by encapsulating gtfB -targeting CRISPR plasmids within hybrid extracellular vesicles from probiotics and pathogenic Streptococcus mutans . The pathogen-derived vesicle component enables targeted uptake by S. mutans , facilitating intracellular cleavage of the virulence gene gtfB . Vesicle-carried endogenous adenosine triphosphate (ATP) boosts CRISPR activity, amplifying targeted DNA cleavage for potent and selective pathogen elimination. Probiotic-derived vesicle components further remodel quorum-sensing networks and immunity, restoring microbial homeostasis. This probiotic vesicle-based strategy integrates ATP-enhanced CRISPR cleavage with microbiome and immune modulation, offering a next-generation therapeutic paradigm for microbiome-associated diseases.
Authors
- Yi Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4091-8532)
- Jun Luo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6830-1633)
- Jiaojiao Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8611-4089)
- Tao Gong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7869-3968)
- Xinxuan Zhou
- Li J (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6679-5227)
- F X Zhou
- Zilin Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1949-7608)
- Kunneng Liang
- Jiyao Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-6832-6734)
Institutions
- Sichuan University (CN)
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science Advances
- Published
- 2026-07-24
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aef1760
- Primary Topic
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- West China Hospital, Sichuan University