lactococcus lactis

lactococcus lactis is a live bacterial therapeutic organism that has been investigated as a microbial antigen-delivery vehicle and immunomodulatory platform rather than as a conventional single-molecule drug. In the provided sources, it appears in two distinct therapeutic contexts: as the live bacterial component of an oral antiviral polypeptide LL-37 preparation studied in novel coronavirus pneumonia, and as a recombinant bacterial vector used to load antigens such as ovalbumin for dendritic cell-based cancer vaccination. Mechanistically, the bacterium is taken up by dendritic cells, promotes dendritic-cell maturation through Toll-like receptor 2 with downstream MAPK and NF-kB signaling, increases reactive oxygen species, and can facilitate phagosome-to-cytosol antigen cross-presentation, thereby enhancing Th1 and cytotoxic T-cell responses. The available evidence here is preclinical for the cancer-vaccine vector use and clinical-trial-associated for COVID-19 supportive antiviral use, but the exact therapeutic product definition is context-dependent because lactococcus lactis can be used either as an unmodified live microbe or as an engineered bacterial delivery chassis.

Other names

Lactococcus lactisL.L乳酸乳球菌