Targeting malignant tumors with high precision is challenging for biomedical researchers. However, this scenario is likely to witness a paradigm shift in the near future, through the use of specially engineered bacteria, that can eliminate malignant cells efficiently.
The study, led by Associate Professor Eijiro Miyako from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology , selected Rhodopseudomonas palustris as the optimal bacterium for conducting the studies."RP demonstrated excellent properties, such as near-infrared fluorescence, photothermal conversion, and low cytotoxicity. It absorbs NIR light and produces free radicals -- a property that can be utilized to kill cancer cells," explainsProf. Miyako.
Next, the researchers attached a fluorescent"Alexa488-BSA" conjugate to the BAM-functionalized RPs, thus creating a bacterial complex with a trackable fluorescent marker. This conjugate was subsequently replaced with a"PD-L1" antibody. Prior studies have shown that cancer cells express a protein called"Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 " on their surface. PD-L1 can smoothly turn off the host defense system by binding to PD-1 receptors.