Lactate-Fueled Bacteria Generator for Bioelectricity-Responsive Release of Antitumor Drug

• Published in: Advanced healthcare materials p. e01995
• Main Authors: Fu, Zhuang-Jiong, Chen, Qi-Wen, Han, Zi-Yi, Liu, Chuan-Jun, Zhang, Xian-Zheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 29.07.2025
• Subjects: Shewanella oneidensis MR‐1; drug resistance; lactate; tumor therapy; bioelectricity‐responsive drug release
• ISSN: 2192-2659
• DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202501995

In the current landscape of precision medicine, the innovation of stimulus-responsive drug delivery systems stands at the forefront of advancing targeted cancer therapies. Electrically responsive drug delivery systems show considerable application potential, but their reliance on external power sources makes it difficult for drugs to reach deep-seated tumor sites. Moreover, the issue of drug resistance during chemotherapy severely limits therapeutic efficacy. A novel strategy is proposed to address these obstacles: the utilization of electrogenic bacteria to create a bacterial generator as a substitute for conventional power sources, enabling in situ bioelectric-responsive drug release. The bacterial generator is fabricated by integrating the electrogenic bacteria Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 with the electroactive material. The accumulation of excessive lactate in tumors promotes DNA homologous recombination repair, leading to chemotherapy resistance. The fabricated bacterial generator can specifically target tumors without the need for surgical implantation, exploiting the surplus lactate as fuel to continuously generate electrons. The bioelectricity generated by the bacteria triggers the release of anti-tumor drugs encapsulated within the electroactive material, while the synergistic effects of lactate consumption and chemotherapy overcome tumor drug resistance. This bioelectricity-responsive approach leverages bacteria as in-situ micro power stations, providing a non-invasive and efficient alternative for precise cancer treatments.