Engineered probiotics for local tumor delivery of checkpoint blockade nanobodies

LIGHTing tumor up for checkpoint blockade

Immune checkpoint blockade, as a breakthrough in cancer therapy with anti-PD-L1, anti-PD-1, and anti-CTLA4, has demonstrated impressive therapeutic effects in multiple clinical trials. However, only a small minority of patients respond to such therapies [1]. Higher tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and PD-L1 expression in tumors have been found to correlate with better prognoses [2, 3]. How...

Genetically Engineered Probiotics

Intestinal microbiota is a key component of both the metabolism and immunity. These can be helpful in healthcare, especially for the management of digestive diseases and food-borne illnesses. Through genetic engineering it is possible to fully express biologically active copies of such powerful molecules from food and commensal bacteria. Genetically engineered probiotics can be used to treat in...

Genetically engineered probiotics.

Probiotic micro-organisms have been used for many years. Originating as food supplements, they are now most often administered orally and offer an attractive alternative for treating of intestinal disorders. A better understanding of the mechanisms by which these micro-organisms act has now opened up possibilities for designing new probiotic strains. Through genetic engineering, it is possible ...

Timeline: Checkpoint Blockade

Immunomodulation: checkpoint blockade etc.

The immune microenvironment is considered a major obstacle to generating an effective antitumor immune response. Checkpoint inhibitors manipulate the co-stimulatory response between antigen-presenting cells and immune cells-or between the tumor and immune cells-to elicit an antitumor immune response that would have otherwise been suppressed. Checkpoint inhibitors have shown great promise in the...