Genetically engineered gas vesicle proteins with proliferative potential for synergistic targeted tumor therapy

RSC Adv. 2025 Jan 2;15(1):157-166. doi: 10.1039/d4ra07532c.

Abstract

Nanomedicine enables precision-targeted therapies through a non-invasive approach, and nanoparticles may be biologically affected during their colonization in vivo. Ensuring the efficient expression of their ex vivo performance in vivo, while ensuring biosafety, is of great significance. Previous studies have employed genetically engineered E. coli following in vivo entry as a genetically engineered targeting synergist, to enhance the effect of focused ultrasound ablation by exploiting its targeted colonization of tumor tissue. However, the proliferation process of the actual potentiating nanomaterials, i.e., the aerosol proteins produced by genetically engineered E. coli, in vivo has not been precisely observed. The authors of this paper demonstrate this spatiotemporal change in the expression of gas vesicle proteins while genetically engineered E. coli reproduces following tumor colonization. Based on their targeting and proliferative properties, the authors chose to intervene in the treatment at the maximal gas vesicle protein count to enhance the monitoring and utilization of the potentiator. By examining the therapeutic potential of the novel combination of genetic engineering and focused ultrasound, we present a robust strategy that improves the efficiency of non-invasive treatments.