Near-Infrared-II Nanoparticles for Cancer Imaging of Immune Checkpoint Programmed Death-Ligand 1 and Photodynamic/Immune Therapy.

Development of second near-infrared (NIR-II) nanoparticles (NPs) with high biocompatibility, low toxicity, and high singlet oxygen quantum yield (Φ) to prevent tumor recurrence is highly desirable in molecular imaging and photodynamic/immune combination therapy. Here, theranostic photosensitizer BODIPY (BDP)-I-N-anti-PD-L1 NPs were developed by encapsulating the photosensitizer BDP-I-N with amphipathic poly(styrene--chloromethylstyrene)--poly(ethylene glycol) nanocarriers through self-assembly functionalization with programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) monoclonal antibody. These NPs exhibit highly intensive luminescence in the NIR-II window (1000-1700 nm) to real-time imaging of immune checkpoint PD-L1, high singlet oxygen quantum yield (Φ = 73%), and an eliminating effect of primary cancers. The NPs also allow for profiling PD-L1 expression as well as accumulating in MC38 tumor and enabling molecular imaging . Upon an 808 nm laser excitation, the targeted NPs produce an emission wavelength above 1200 nm to image a tumor to a normal tissue signal ratio (T/NT) at an approximate value of 14.1. Moreover, the MC38 tumors in mice are eliminated by combining photodynamic therapy and immunotherapy within 30 days, with no tumor recurrence within a period of 40 days. In addition, the tumors do not grow in the rechallenged mice within 7 days of inoculation. Such a strategy shows a durable immune memory effect against tumor rechallenging without toxic side effects to major organs.