Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41046872›Full record

ReviewAdvanced drug delivery reviews2025

Repurposing the bacterial surface display technology for drug delivery.

Shaobo Yang, Mengdi Yang, Maria Jennings, Hania Timek, Amber E Haley, Rizwan Romee, Jiahe Li

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Advanced drug delivery reviews, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Shaobo YangDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, United States.
Mengdi YangDepartment of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States.
Maria JenningsDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
Hania TimekDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
Amber E HaleyDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
Rizwan RomeeDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, United States. Electronic address: Rizwan_Romee@dfci.harvard.edu.
Jiahe LiDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.. Electronic address: jiaheli@umich.edu.

Funding

Understanding and Harnessing Microbial Reprogramming to Combat Carcinogenic Colibactin in Colorectal CancerR01CA303150 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI LI, JIAHE, SHAH, YATRIK M · 2025 to 2025
$2.9M
Enzymatic and genetic strategies for targeting disease-associated microbial metabolitesDP2GM154019 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Jiahe Li · 2023 to 2026
$2.3M
Targeting a human gut bacterial genotoxin via engineered commensal bacteriaR01CA299955 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Jiahe Li, Omer Yilmaz · 2025 to 2026
$1.2M
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA299955NCI NIH HHS R01 CA303150NIGMS NIH HHS DP2 GM154019
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Bacteria have emerged as versatile platforms for therapeutic delivery, owing to their inherent adaptability, genetic tractability, and ability to interface with the human microbiome and immune system. This review explores the evolution of bacterial engineering for medical applications, emphasizing drug delivery strategies enabled by bacterial surface display technologies. We outline the advantages of surface display, such as enhanced localization, prolonged therapeutic activity, and reduced systemic toxicity, over conventional bacterial secretion and lysis-based delivery methods. The review details key biological mechanisms of surface display in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, including outer membrane proteins, sortase-mediated anchoring, and spore-based systems. We also highlight emerging applications of surface-displayed cytokines, nanobodies, and immunomodulatory proteins in cancer therapy, vaccine development, microbiome engineering, and animal health. Innovative approaches combining bacterial display with conjugation systems and biosensors expand the potential of these living therapeutics for precise, responsive, and programmable interventions. Furthermore, we propose a future roadmap that leverages computational tools such as AlphaFold and in silico screening to rationally identify optimal outer membrane anchors, accelerating the design of next-generation surface display platforms. While challenges remain, including regulatory hurdles and microbial stability, continued interdisciplinary innovation with synthetic biology promises to transform engineered bacteria into clinically viable therapeutic agents. This review positions bacterial surface display as a powerful and underexplored modality for targeted drug delivery, bridging synthetic biology, immune engineering, and translational medicine.

Indexed as

BacteriaDrug Delivery SystemsAnimalsHumansBacterial surface displayDrug deliveryMicrobiomeSynthetic biology

Identifiers

PMID41046872
PMCPMC13033320

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.