Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China.
Hubei Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China.
Int J Nanomedicine. 2024 Jan 5;19:137-154. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S440387. eCollection 2024.
PURPOSE: To explore the effect of calcium peroxide nanoparticles (CaO NPs) combined with programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors in the treatment of liver cancer and its related mechanism. METHODS: Hepa1-6 cells were cultured to construct the Hepa1-6 mouse liver cancer model. In vivo mechanism study, a unilateral tumor model was established. Eighteen tumor-bearing mice were randomly divided into the control group (intra-tumoral injection of PBS solution) and the experimental group (intra-tumoral injection of CaO NPs). A hypoxic probe, pH probe, and micro-CT were used to evaluate the effect of CaO NPs on improving hypoxia, neutralizing acidity, and inducing calcium overload within the tumor. To study the effect of CaO NPs combined with PD-1 inhibitors on proximal and distal tumors, the bilateral tumor model was established. Forty tumor-bearing mice were randomly divided into the control group (intra-tumoral/intra-peritoneal injection of PBS solution), CaO NPs group (intra-tumoral injection of CaO NPs), PD-1 group (intra-peritoneal injection of PD-1 inhibitor), and the combination group (intra-tumoral injection of CaO NPs and intra-peritoneal injection of PD-1 inhibitors). The administered side was recorded as the proximal tumor. Tumor volume and body weight were measured every 2 days after treatment. On day 8, serum and tumor samples were collected. The immune factors in serum (Interferon-γ (IFN-γ), Tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), Interleukin-2 (IL-2), and Interleukin-10 (IL-10)) and tumor tissue (IFN-γ and TNF-α) were detected by ELISA. H&E staining was used to detect tumor necrosis. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the amount of CD4 and CD8 T cells within the tumor. By analyzing the tumor volume, pathological indexes, and immune-related indexes, the effects of CaO NPs combined with PD-1 inhibitors on proximal and distal tumors were evaluated, and they mediated immunomodulatory effects (including local and systemic immunity), and their effects on tumor burden were studied. In addition, a unilateral tumor model was established to study the effect of CaO NPs combined with PD-1 inhibitors on survival time. RESULTS: The results of in vivo mechanism study showed that CaO NPs can improve hypoxia, neutralize acidity, and induce calcium overload within tumors. The results of the study on the effect of CaO NPs combined with PD-1 inhibitor on proximal and distal tumors showed that, compared with the other three groups, the bilateral tumor burden of the combination group was significantly reduced, the intra-tumoral infiltration of CD8 and CD4 T cells were significantly increased, the secretion of anti-tumor immune factors in tumor and serum was increased, and the secretion of pro-tumor immune factors was decreased. Mice in the combination group showed the longest survival compared with the other groups. CONCLUSION: CaO NPs can improve hypoxia, neutralize acidity, and induce calcium overload within tumors, so as to reduce tumor burden and realize an immunosuppressive tumor transformation to a hot tumor, and play a synergistic role with PD-1 inhibitors in anti-liver cancer.
目的:探讨过氧化钙纳米粒子(CaO NPs)联合程序性死亡蛋白 1(PD-1)抑制剂治疗肝癌的作用及其相关机制。
方法:培养 Hepa1-6 细胞,构建 Hepa1-6 小鼠肝癌模型。在体内机制研究中,建立单侧肿瘤模型。将 18 只荷瘤小鼠随机分为对照组(肿瘤内注射 PBS 溶液)和实验组(肿瘤内注射 CaO NPs)。利用缺氧探针、pH 探针和 micro-CT 评估 CaO NPs 改善肿瘤内缺氧、中和酸度和诱导钙超载的效果。为研究 CaO NPs 联合 PD-1 抑制剂对近侧和远侧肿瘤的作用,建立双侧肿瘤模型。将 40 只荷瘤小鼠随机分为对照组(肿瘤内/腹腔内注射 PBS 溶液)、CaO NPs 组(肿瘤内注射 CaO NPs)、PD-1 组(腹腔内注射 PD-1 抑制剂)和联合组(肿瘤内注射 CaO NPs 和腹腔内注射 PD-1 抑制剂)。给药侧记录为近侧肿瘤。治疗后每 2 天测量肿瘤体积和体质量。第 8 天收集血清和肿瘤样本。通过 ELISA 检测血清(干扰素-γ(IFN-γ)、肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)、白细胞介素-2(IL-2)和白细胞介素-10(IL-10))和肿瘤组织(IFN-γ 和 TNF-α)中的免疫因子。采用 H&E 染色检测肿瘤坏死情况。免疫组织化学染色检测肿瘤内 CD4 和 CD8 T 细胞数量。通过分析肿瘤体积、病理指标和免疫相关指标,评估 CaO NPs 联合 PD-1 抑制剂对近侧和远侧肿瘤的作用,并研究其介导的免疫调节作用(包括局部和全身免疫)及其对肿瘤负担的影响。此外,建立单侧肿瘤模型研究 CaO NPs 联合 PD-1 抑制剂对生存时间的影响。
结果:体内机制研究结果表明,CaO NPs 可改善肿瘤内缺氧、中和酸度和诱导钙超载。CaO NPs 联合 PD-1 抑制剂对近侧和远侧肿瘤作用的研究结果表明,与其他三组相比,联合组的双侧肿瘤负担明显减轻,肿瘤内 CD8 和 CD4 T 细胞浸润明显增加,肿瘤和血清中抗肿瘤免疫因子的分泌增加,促肿瘤免疫因子的分泌减少。与其他组相比,联合组的小鼠生存时间最长。
结论:CaO NPs 可改善肿瘤内缺氧、中和酸度和诱导钙超载,从而减轻肿瘤负担,实现免疫抑制性肿瘤向热肿瘤的转化,并与 PD-1 抑制剂在抗肝癌方面发挥协同作用。
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