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Cancer's drug resistance and immune evasion tendencies present significant treatment challenges. A research team led by Dr. Yun Mou and Dr. Che-Ming Hu at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, has developed a probiotic vector capable of delivering multiple immunotherapeutic proteins. This vector penetrates tumors, releasing various anti-cancer fusion proteins to achieve tumor destruction and enhance anti-cancer immunity. The lead investigator, Dr. Cheng-Hao Liu employed genetic engineering to load the probiotic vector with functionalities including cancer cell-targeting ligand, cell perforation proteins, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and immune-stimulatory cytokines. The bacterial vector's safety was also enhanced for high-dose intravenous injection. This design addresses complex issues in multi-target cancer therapies, such as regulatory, logistical, and pharmacokinetic challenges, allowing for large-scale production of combination therapies via a single vector for direct injection and targeted tumor delivery. This research has been published on October 22, 2024 in Cell Reports Medicine.

Dr. Yun Mou passed away in August 2023. Future correspondence can be addressed to Dr. Che-Ming Hu.