Leading PI: Shrikrishnan Sankaran (INM) , Tobias Kraus (INM) & Johannes Linxweiler (Saarland University Hospital)
The long-term use of Living Therapeutic Materials (LTMs) for chronic disease treatment benefits from the ability to regulate drug release in real time. In the earlier LifeMat projects, researchers developed LTMs using near-infrared (NIR) light to activate thermo-responsive genetic switches in E. coli via nanoplasmonic photothermal methods. Key achievements included techniques for localized bacterial activation and elimination, and the creation of a thermo-amplifier circuit to tightly control the production of the antibiotic darobactin. The new project builds on these foundations to develop LTMs that can be activated deeper in the body, focusing on the urinary bladder and aims to achieve non-invasive control of drug secretion from LTMs by introducing magnetic activation alongside optical methods for sustained therapy. Magnetic actuation is already compatible with clinical practices and offers robust, deep-tissue activation. This approach is particularly relevant for treating bladder conditions like cancer, interstitial cystitis, and chronic infections, where long-term localized treatment is essential. Magnetic heating, already used in cancer hyperthermia therapies, will be adapted to activate thermo-responsive genetic circuits in bacteria, enabling tunable drug release.