Bacteria-mediated drug delivery systems comprising nanotherapeutics
conjugated onto bacteria synergistically augment the efficacy of both
therapeutic modalities in cancer therapy. Nanocarriers preserve
therapeutics’ bioavailability and reduce systemic toxicity, while
bacteria selectively colonize the cancerous tissue, impart intrinsic and
immune-mediated antitumor effects, and propel nanotherapeutics
interstitially. The optimal bacteria-nanoparticle (NP) conjugates would
carry the maximal NP load with minimal motility speed hindrance for
effective interstitial distribution. Furthermore, a well-defined and
repeatable NP attachment density distribution is crucial to determining
these biohybrid systems’ efficacious dosage and robust performance.
Herein, we utilized our Nanoscale Bacteria-Enabled Autonomous Delivery
System (NanoBEADS) platform to investigate the effects of assembly
process parameters of mixing method, volume, and duration on NP
attachment density and repeatability. We also evaluated the effect of
linkage chemistry and NP size on NP attachment density, viability,
growth rate, and motility of NanoBEADS. We show that the linkage
chemistry impacts NP attachment density while the self-assembly process
parameters affect the repeatability and, to a lesser extent, attachment
density. Lastly, the attachment density affects NanoBEADS’ growth rate
and motility in an NP size-dependent manner. These findings will
contribute to the development of scalable and repeatable
bacteria-nanoparticle biohybrids for applications in drug delivery and
beyond.
Corresponding author(s) Email:
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