Thermal-responsive activation of engineered bacteria to trigger antitumor immunity post microwave ablation therapy.

Incomplete tumor removal after microwave ablation (MWA), a widely used hyperthermia-based therapy, can result in tumor recurrence. Herein, attenuated Salmonella typhimurium VNP20009 is engineered to release interleukin-15&interleukin-15-receptor-alpha (IL-15&IL-15Rα) in response to mildly elevated temperature. Such 15&15R@VNP colonizes in tumors upon intravenous injection, and the expression of IL-15&IL-15Rα is triggered by MWA.