A colon-specific drug delivery system has great potential for the oral administration of colorectal cancer. However, the uncontrollable in vivo fate of liposomes makes their effectiveness for colonic location, and intratumoral accumulation remains unsatisfactory. Here, an oral colon-specific drug delivery system (CBS-CS@Lipo/Oxp/MTZ) was constructed by covalently conjugating Clostridium butyricum spores (CBS) with drugs loaded chitosan (CS)-coated liposomes, where the model chemotherapy drug oxaliplatin (Oxp) and anti-anaerobic bacteria agent metronidazole (MTZ) were loaded. Following oral administration, CBS germinated into Clostridium butyricum (CB) and colonized in the colon. Combined with colonic specifically β-glucosidase responsive degrading of CS, dual colon-specific release of liposomes was achieved. And the accumulation of liposomes at the CRC site furtherly increased by 2.68-fold. Simultaneously, the released liposomes penetrated deep tumor tissue via the permeation enhancement effect of CS to kill localized intratumoral bacteria. Collaborating with blocking the translocation of intestinal pathogenic bacteria from lumen to tumor with the gut microbiota modulation of CB, the intratumoral pathogenic bacteria were eliminated fundamentally, blocking their recruitment to immunosuppressive cells. Furtherly, synchronized with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) released from MTZ-induced dead Fusobacterium nucleatum and the tumor-associated antigens produced by Oxp-caused immunogenic dead cells, they jointly enhanced tumor infiltration of CD8⁺ T cells and reactivated robust antitumor immunity.

Alkylated DNA lesions, induced by both exogenous chemical agents and endogenous metabolites, represent a major form of DNA damage in cells. The repair of alkylation damage is critical in all cells because such damage is cytotoxic and potentially mutagenic. Alkylation chemotherapy is a major therapeutic modality for many tumors, underscoring the importance of the repair pathways in cancer cells. Several different pathways exist for alkylation repair, including base excision and nucleotide excision repair, direct reversal by methyl-guanine methyltransferase (MGMT), and dealkylation by the AlkB homolog (ALKBH) protein family. However, maintaining a proper balance between these pathways is crucial for the favorable response of an organism to alkylating agents. Here, we summarize the progress in the field of DNA alkylation lesion repair and describe the implications for cancer chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Hydroxyapatite/chitosan (HA/CS) complex may act as a drug carrier for drug release, but little is reported about the release amount and antibacterial effect of minocycline-HA/CS (Mino-HA/CS) complex. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the in vitro release and antibacterial property of Mino-HA/CS complex. METHODS: HA/CS and Mino-HA/CS were prepared using co-precipitation method. The surface and cross-section features of the complexes were observed under scanning electron microscopy. The porosities were measured according to Archimedes Principle. The release of minocycline hydrochloride was measured by high performance liquid chromatography with the simulated saliva as drug release media. In vitro antibacterial effect on Porphyromonas gingivalis and Staphylococcus aureus were measured by bacteria-inhibiting ring method. Biological toxicities were evaluated via cel counting kit-8cel proliferation assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The porosity of Mino-HA/CS was larger than that of HA/CS, with the average porosity of 53.99%. Single-day release amount of Mino-HA/CS could maintain at the level of 0.5-1 μg per day for a long-term. Bacteriostatic rings of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Staphylococcus aureus stil existed clearly after 7 days. Cel proliferation assays showed that Mino-HA/CS extract had the significant effect on promoting cel proliferation. These findings indicate that the Mino-HA/CS sustains the release of minocycline at a relatively stable level within a longer period, shows good inhibitory effect on Porphyromonas gingivalis and Staphylococcus aureus and promotes the proliferation of periodontal ligament cel s.