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Yang Y, Yu P, Huang Y, Zhang W, Nie Y, Gao C. Metabolic engineering of Lactobacilli spp. for disease treatment. Microb Cell Fact 2025; 24:53. [PMID: 40050843 PMCID: PMC11887175 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-025-02682-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2025] [Indexed: 03/09/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A variety of probiotics have been utilized as chassis strains and engineered to develop the synthetic probiotics for disease treatment. Among these probiotics, Lactobacilli, which are generally viewed as safe and capable of colonizing the gastrointestinal tract effectively, are widely used. We review recent advancements in the engineering of Lactobacilli for disease treatment. Specifically, the Lactobacilli that are used for the construction of synthetic probiotics, the application of these engineered strains for diseases treatment, and the therapeutic outcomes of these engineered microbes are summarized in this review. Moreover, the applications of these engineered strains for disease treatment are categorized based on their engineering strategies. Of note, we compare the advantages and disadvantages of various engineering strategies and offer insights for the future development of genetically modified Lactobacillus strains with stable and safe properties. SHORT CONCLUSION Our study comprehensively reviews researches on engineering diverse Lactobacillus strains for disease treatment, categorized by their engineering strategies, and emphasizes the importance of developing synthetic probiotics with stable and safe characteristics to enhance their therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunpeng Yang
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology, Shanghai, 201602, China.
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.
| | - Peijun Yu
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Yufei Huang
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Wanying Zhang
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Yanhong Nie
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology, Shanghai, 201602, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Changshan Gao
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology, Shanghai, 201602, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
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Spangler JR, Caruana JC, Medintz IL, Walper SA. Harnessing the potential of Lactobacillus species for therapeutic delivery at the lumenal-mucosal interface. Future Sci OA 2021; 7:FSO671. [PMID: 33815818 PMCID: PMC8015674 DOI: 10.2144/fsoa-2020-0153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Lactobacillus species have been studied for over 30 years in their role as commensal organisms in the human gut. Recently there has been a surge of interest in their abilities to natively and recombinantly stimulate immune activities, and studies have identified strains and novel molecules that convey particular advantages for applications as both immune adjuvants and immunomodulators. In this review, we discuss the recent advances in Lactobacillus-related activity at the gut/microbiota interface, the efforts to probe the boundaries of the direct and indirect therapeutic potential of these bacteria, and highlight the continued interest in harnessing the native capacity for the production of biogenic compounds shown to influence nervous system activity. Taken together, these aspects underscore Lactobacillus species as versatile therapeutic delivery vehicles capable of effector production at the lumenal-mucosal interface, and further establish a foundation of efficacy upon which future engineered strains can expand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R Spangler
- National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow sited in US Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6900, Center for Bio/Molecular Science & Engineering, 4555 Overlook Ave SW, Washington DC, 20375, USA
| | - Julie C Caruana
- American Society for Engineering Education Postdoctoral Fellow sited in US Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6900, Center for Bio/Molecular Science & Engineering, 4555 Overlook Ave SW, Washington DC, 20375, USA
| | - Igor L Medintz
- US Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6900, Center for Bio/Molecular Science & Engineering, 4555 Overlook Ave SW, Washington DC, 20375, USA
| | - Scott A Walper
- US Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6900, Center for Bio/Molecular Science & Engineering, 4555 Overlook Ave SW, Washington DC, 20375, USA
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LeCureux JS, Dean GA. Lactobacillus Mucosal Vaccine Vectors: Immune Responses against Bacterial and Viral Antigens. mSphere 2018; 3:e00061-18. [PMID: 29769376 PMCID: PMC5956152 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00061-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been utilized since the 1990s for therapeutic heterologous gene expression. The ability of LAB to elicit an immune response against expressed foreign antigens has led to their exploration as potential mucosal vaccine candidates. LAB vaccine vectors offer many attractive advantages: simple, noninvasive administration (usually oral or intranasal), the acceptance and stability of genetic modifications, relatively low cost, and the highest level of safety possible. Experimentation using LAB of the genus Lactobacillus has become popular in recent years due to their ability to elicit strong systemic and mucosal immune responses. This article reviews Lactobacillus vaccine constructs, including Lactobacillus species, antigen expression, model organisms, and in vivo immune responses, with a primary focus on viral and bacterial antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan S LeCureux
- Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, Evangel University, Springfield, Missouri, USA
| | - Gregg A Dean
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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