Recently, Professors Liu Zhuang and Peng Rui from the Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM) at our university collaborated with Professor Zhao Yongxiang and Professor Zhong Liping from the State Key Laboratory of Targeted Tumor Therapy at Guangxi Medical University to publish their academic achievement titled "Oncolytic mineralized bacteria as potent locally administered immunotherapeutics" in Nature Biomedical Engineering. Wang Chenya, a PhD student from the FUNSOM class of 2023, and Professor Zhong Liping are the co-first authors of the paper, while Professors Liu Zhuang, Peng Rui, and Zhao Yongxiang are the co-corresponding authors.

Utilizing bacteria to combat tumors is an innovative technique in cancer treatment. Professors Liu Zhuang, Peng Rui, and Zhao Yongxiang, and Zhong Liping developed a novel tumor treatment strategy by "planting" manganese dioxide nanostructures on the surface of inactivated Salmonella bacteria, creating a unique oncolytic mineralized bacteria for cancer therapy. These oncolytic mineralized bacteria have demonstrated powerful effects against tumors, with significantly improved safety compared to conventional bacterial formulations. Therefore, these oncolytic mineralized bacteria show immense potential to become the next-generation biotherapeutics for cancer immunotherapy.

Paper link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41551-024-01191-w