Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41946701›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

A live biohybrid bacterial therapy based on engineered Serratia marcescens.

Lihao Ji, Tianze Zhu, Tianqi Jiang, Li Wang, Zhonghui Qiu, Shiqi Gao, Yuqi Wang, Jing Wang, Jingyi Zhang, Haomiao Huang and 5 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. 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

15 authors.

Lihao JiState Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, P. R. China.
Tianze ZhuState Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, P. R. China.
Tianqi JiangState Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, P. R. China.
Li WangState Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, P. R. China.
Zhonghui QiuState Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, P. R. China.
Shiqi GaoState Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, P. R. China.
Yuqi WangState Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, P. R. China.
Jing WangSchool of Chemistry, Nanjing University, Nanjing, P. R. China.
Jingyi ZhangSchool of Chemistry, Nanjing University, Nanjing, P. R. China.
Haomiao HuangNanjing Foreign Language School, Nanjing, P. R. China.
Yunlong MaoState Key Laboratory of Novel Software Technology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, P. R. China.
Chen LinSchool of Chemistry, Nanjing University, Nanjing, P. R. China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4160-8077
Jing ZhaoState Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, P. R. China. jingzhao@nju.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5177-5699
Xiuxiu WangState Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, P. R. China. wangxiuxiu@nju.edu.cn.
Wei WeiState Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, P. R. China. weiwei@nju.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0845-0527

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 22025701, 22293052, and 92353301National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 22177048
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Bacterial therapeutics hold great promise for cancer treatment by targeting oxygen-poor tumor regions and complementing existing therapies. However, current approaches often struggle with safety concerns and complex engineering. Developing a safe, effective delivery platform relying entirely on natural bacterial biosynthesis remains a challenge. Here we show that attenuated Serratia marcescens serves as a powerful biohybrid platform for cancer therapy by leveraging its natural biosynthesis of prodigiosin, a photosensitive pigment. We engineer S. marcescens to yield high prodigiosin levels, which exhibit strong intrinsic anti-cancer activity and near-infrared photosensitivity. In female mouse models of melanoma and colorectal cancer, this platform triggers robust systemic immune responses, including enhanced T cell recruitment and long-term memory against tumor recurrence. Furthermore, the bacteria induces tumor cell death via mitophagy, while photothermal properties of prodigiosin enables rapid, light-controlled bacterial clearance post-treatment. These findings establish S. marcescens as a versatile, self-regulating biosynthetic platform for precise and safe cancer immunotherapy.

Indexed as

Colorectal NeoplasmsProdigiosinSerratia marcescensAnimalsCell Line, TumorFemaleHumansImmunotherapyMiceProdigiosin

Identifiers

PMID41946701
PMCPMC13234118

What Socratic 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 Socratic graph.