Bacteria-based immunotherapy for cancer: a systematic review of preclinical studies

Min Zhou; Yucheng Tang; Wenjie Xu; Xinyan Hao; Yongjiang Li; Si Huang; Daxiong Xiang; Junyong Wu

doi:10.3389/fimmu.2023.1140463

Bacteria-based immunotherapy for cancer: a systematic review of preclinical studies

Front Immunol. 2023 Aug 3:14:1140463. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1140463. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Min Zhou^{1

2

3}, Yucheng Tang^{1

2

3}, Wenjie Xu^{1

2

3}, Xinyan Hao^{1

2

3}, Yongjiang Li^{1

2

3}, Si Huang^{1

2

3}, Daxiong Xiang^{1

2

3}, Junyong Wu^{1

2

3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
² Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine and Innovative Drug, Changsha, China.
³ Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Central South University, Changsha, China.
⁴ Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China.

Abstract

Immunotherapy has been emerging as a powerful strategy for cancer management. Recently, accumulating evidence has demonstrated that bacteria-based immunotherapy including naive bacteria, bacterial components, and bacterial derivatives, can modulate immune response via various cellular and molecular pathways. The key mechanisms of bacterial antitumor immunity include inducing immune cells to kill tumor cells directly or reverse the immunosuppressive microenvironment. Currently, bacterial antigens synthesized as vaccine candidates by bioengineering technology are novel antitumor immunotherapy. Especially the combination therapy of bacterial vaccine with conventional therapies may further achieve enhanced therapeutic benefits against cancers. However, the clinical translation of bacteria-based immunotherapy is limited for biosafety concerns and non-uniform production standards. In this review, we aim to summarize immunotherapy strategies based on advanced bacterial therapeutics and discuss their potential for cancer management, we will also propose approaches for optimizing bacteria-based immunotherapy for facilitating clinical translation.

Keywords: bacteria; cancer; colonization; immunotherapy; tumor model; vaccine.

Publication types

Systematic Review
Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Antigens, Bacterial
Bacteria
Bacterial Vaccines
Humans
Immunotherapy*
Neoplasms* / therapy
Tumor Microenvironment

Substances

Antigens, Bacterial
Bacterial Vaccines

Grants and funding

This research was supported by Hunan Provincial Science and Technology Plan (Grant number 2016TP2002), Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (Grant number 2023JJ40860), Natural Science Foundation of Changsha, Hunan Province, China (Grant number kq2208346), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant number 2023M733962) and Little Lotus' Talent Plan, Hunan Province, China.