Colon-targeted bacterial hydrogel for tumor vascular normalization and improved chemotherapy

The endogenous H2S plays an important role in the occurrence and development of colon cancer, and is related to the abnormal blood vessels. Here, we reported on a sulfhydryl hyaluronid-based hydrogel (HA-SH) synthesized by amide reaction and further obtained a bacterial hydrogel by loading Thiobacillus denitrificans to the hydrogel for targeting adhesion to the colon. It was found that the loaded bacteria in HA-SH hydrogel can scavenge excess H2S in colon cancer, then promote tumor vascular normalization and improve the delivery of chemotherapy drug CPT to inhibit tumor progression. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments show that the self-crosslinked bacterial hydrogel has satisfactory effects in inhibiting tumor progression and promoting tumor vascular normalization in colon cancer. This study presents an efficient method to target the colon and consume overexpressed H2S in colon cancer to inhabit tumor progression, providing a new way for oral drug treatment of colon cancer. [Display omitted] •A bacterial hydrogel based on sulfhydrylated hyaluronic acid is reported.•Bacterial hydrogel targeting colon cancer consumes H2S.•Bacterial hydrogel consumes H2S to promote tumor vascular normalization.•Bacterial hydrogel improves chemotherapy of colon cancer.