Smectite promotes probiotic biofilm formation in the gut for cancer immunotherapy

Summary Administration of probiotics to regulate the immune system is a potential anti-tumor strategy. However, oral administration of probiotics is ineffective because of the poor inhabitation of exogenous bacteria in host intestines. Here we report that smectite, a type of mineral clay and established anti-diarrhea drug, promotes expansion of probiotics (especially Lactobacillus ) in the murine gut and subsequently elicits anti-tumor immune responses. The ion-exchangeable microstructure of smectite preferentially promotes lactic acid bacteria (LABs) to form biofilms on smectite in vitro and in vivo . In mouse models, smectite laden with LAB biofilms ( Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium ) inhibits tumor growth (when used alone) and enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy or immunotherapy (when used in combination with either of them) by activating dendritic cells (DCs) via Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) signaling. Our findings suggest oral administration of smectite as a promising strategy to enrich probiotics in vivo for cancer immunotherapy.