Bacterial ghosts: A promising new tool for biomedical applications

The relationship between bacteria and human health is multifaceted, and recent years have seen significant advancements in research aimed at utilizing bacteria for disease prevention and control. Bacterial ghosts (BGs) are empty cellular structures generated from Gram-negative bacteria through the removal of genetic material, ribosomes, and cytoplasmic components, retaining only the outer membrane architecture. Despite this, they retain the surface antigens and structural integrity of their parent bacteria, making them highly immunogenic and capable of eliciting humoral, cellular, and mucosal immune responses. Furthermore, BGs serve as a multifunctional carrier capable of enclosing various agents, such as drugs, proteins, genes, and enzymes, within their durable vesicular frameworks. BGs demonstrate significant potential in targeted drug delivery system development due to their exceptional drug-loading efficiency, site-specific delivery precision, intrinsic immunostimulatory effects, and low toxicity characteristics. BGs exhibit a distinct advantage compared to other drug delivery systems, characterized by their preserved cellular envelope architecture. This structural integrity inherently acts as a biological enhancer to amplify immune system activation while concurrently enabling targeted transportation, directing therapeutic agents to designated cells with molecular precision and delivering bioactive substances exclusively to predetermined cellular targets. This article underscores the potential of BGs as a cutting-edge vaccine platform and a multipurpose delivery vector. BGs, as a groundbreaking advancement in biomedical science, are positioned to become essential drivers of progress in medical research, actively reshaping the development of therapeutic interventions and preventive healthcare solutions.