pH‐Responsive Biomineralized Probiotic for Self‐Amplifying Mucosal Vaccination: Gut‐Engineered Antigen Factories Drive Targeted Cervical Tumor Regression
Abstract
Abstract Therapeutic vaccines against cervical cancer critically depend on sustained high‐level HPV antigen production and prolonged antigen exposure. However, suboptimal antigen bioavailability and rapid systemic clearance remain key barriers to achieving robust vaccine efficacy. Here, we engineer an oral biohybrid vaccine using pH‐responsive biomineralized Bacillus subtilis (B‐BS/E7@M) to establish gut‐based antigen factories for sustained HPV16 E7 production. The calcium phosphate mineral coating confers gastric acid resistance (78.9% survivability vs. 9.1% uncoated) and synergizes with probiotic‐mucosa interactions to prolong intestinal retention (96 h, 4 × controls), enabling >4‐day antigen persistence and markedly enhances oral bioavailability. This system elicits coordinated immune activation: mucosal priming through germinal center expansion and APC maturation elevates IgG, IgA, and T‐cell subsets—including total T cells, cytotoxic T cells, and effector memory T cells—from day 21 onward. Systemic CD8 + T‐cell activation via cross‐presentation enhances central and effector memory T cells, promoting tumor infiltration and resulting in 64% tumor suppression ( p < 0.001) with 50% complete remission in TC‐1 models. Mechanistic studies pinpoint gut‐orchestrated cytotoxic T cell clonal expansion as the dominant effector pathway. By bridging synthetic biology with stimuli‐responsive biomaterials, this work pioneers a paradigm of living biotherapeutics—self‐replicating, mucosa‐deployable systems for precision cancer immunotherapy.
Article Details
Authors (10)
Donglin Xia
Institute For Applied Research in Public Health School of Public Health Nantong University Nantong Jiangsu China
Ziqing Gao
Jia Li
Chao Chen
Yan Xi
Siqi Li
Shuheng Qin
College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Nanjing University Nanjing Jiangsu China
Xiqun Jiang
MOE Key Laboratory of High-Performance Polymer Materials and Technology and Department of Polymer Science & Engineering College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering
Minjie Chu
Yong Hu