Self-assembled nanoplatforms the efficacy of photoimmunotherapy for cancer

Photoimmunotherapy is an innovative cancer treatment that combines phototherapy with immunotherapy to selectively target and destroy cancer cells. In photoimmunotherapy, photosensitizers or nanomaterials are introduced into tumor tissue and exposed to light of a specific wavelength, causing a localized therapeutic response.

This response includes photothermal or photodynamic effects that either kill tumor cells directly or induce immunogenic cell death. Immunogenic cell death is an immune stimulatory response induced by a specific form of programmed cell death.

During the course of immunogenic cell death, cancer cells produce a set of signaling molecules called damage-associated molecular patterns. These damage-related molecular patterns bind to pattern recognition receptors on the surface of dendritic cells, promote their maturation, and ultimately initiate a series of cellular responses that activate a natural and adaptive immune response. This can act as an innate immune adjuvant.

Pyroptosis and ferroptosis, two typical forms of immunogenic cell death, have been shown to activate or regulate the immune system. In previous studies, immunotherapy mediated by pyroptosis and feroptosis was primarily dependent on chemotherapeutic agents. However, the non-specific targeting and serious side effects of traditional drugs limit their application.

Light: Light: Science & Applications, a team of scientists, Science & Applications, led by Professor Quan Li of the Faculty of Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering at the Graduate School of Materials Science Program at Southeast University in China and Kent State University, a colleague and colleagues in the US and colleagues have been working to lysosomes. We designed and constructed theranostic nanoplatform M@P for targeted photoinduced pyrososis and ferroptosis by self-organizing theranostic nanoplatform. photosensitizer MTCN-3 and immunomodulatory poly(I:C). It is further encapsulated in an amphiphilic polymer.

This nanoplatform is able to actively target tumor regions and accumulate in tumor cells lysosomes. During mild irradiation, the production of large amounts of reactive oxygen species and heat can induce lysosomal dysfunction, leading to tumor cell pyrrosis and ferroptosis. This process leads to immunogenic cell death and, when combined with immunomodulatory poly(I:C), can further enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapy.

The immunotherapeutic effect of M@P has been further demonstrated in mouse models containing tumors with less immunogenicity. M@P promotes tumor-specific antigen production and dendritic cell maturation, leading to the proliferation of activated T cells, thereby inducing a robust systemic anti-tumor immune response.

On day 9 of treatment, primary and distant tumor growth in mice was effectively inhibited. This study offers a new strategy for the design of dual-functional inducer for pyroptosis and ferroptosis, which will benefit further advances in the field of photoimmunotherapy for cancer.