Programming Primary Schwann Cells with Circular RNA Delivered by Listeria Drones

Attenuated, self-destructing Listeria monocytogenes drones delivered NLuc circRNA into primary rat Schwann cells with up to 94% bactofection at MOIs 10–20 and negligible cell death.

• Why it matters: Primary Schwann cells are difficult to transfect, limiting transient, non-integrating gene delivery needed for temporally controlled therapeutic factor expression in peripheral nerve and spinal cord repair.
• What they did: The team engineered circRNA synthesis in host cytosol via inducible bacterial invasion, phagosome escape, circRNA circularization, and programmed bacterial lysis, then optimized delivery using NLuc circRNA across MOIs.
• The result: After antibiotic removal of bacteria, bacteria-free Schwann cells continued NLuc expression for over five days and were suitable for transplantation, enabling swapping NLuc for therapeutic payloads.

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