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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Aug 3.
Published in final edited form as: J Control Release. 2016 Oct 12;257:68–75. doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2016.10.006

Figure 1. Therapeutic nano-swimmers.

Figure 1

(A) Viable bacteria, with the capacity to autonomously swim in media, are transformed into carriers of anti-cancer agents. The bacteria are loaded with nanoparticles that contain the anti-cancer agent and antibiotic doxorubicin. (B) Cancer cells secret a unique set of nutrients that are strong attractants to the bacterial swimmer. The drug-loaded bacteria swim towards and invade the cancer cell. (C) Inside the cell, the drug releases from the nanoparticle, killing the bacteria and destroying its envelope. Following bacterial death the doxorubicin executes its activity against the invaded cancer cell.

Bacteria are shown in green, liposomes in red and doxorubicin in orange.