Sequentially Triggered Bacterial Outer Membrane Vesicles for Macrophage Metabolism Modulation and Tumor Metastasis Suppression

Metabolic interactions between different cell types in the tumor microenvironment (TME) often result in reprogramming of the metabolism to be totally different from their normal physiological processes in order to support tumor growth. Many studies have attempted to inhibit tumor growth and activate tumor immunity by regulating the metabolism of tumors and other cells in TME. However, metabolic inhibitors often suffer from the heterogeneity of tumors, since the favorable metabolic regulation of malignant cells and other cells in TME is often inconsistent with each other. Therefore, we reported the design of a pH-sensitive drug delivery system that targets different cells in TME successively. Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) derived from Gram-negative bacteria were applied to coload paclitaxel (PTX) and regulated in development and DNA damage response 1 (Redd1)-siRNA and regulate tumor metabolism microenvironment and suppress tumor growth. Our siRNA@M-/PTX-CA-OMVs could first release PTX triggered by the tumor pH (pH 6.8). Then the rest of it would be taken in by M2 macrophages to increase their level of glycolysis. Great potential was observed in TAM repolarization, tumor suppression, tumor immune activation, and TME remolding in the triple-negative breast cancer model. The application of the OMV provided an insight for establishing a codelivery platform for chemical drugs and genetic medicines.