Kong Fei, Xia Tian, Zhu Xiaorong, Zeng Xueping, Wang Fengyu, Lyu Jianxin, Lu Lisen, Wang Zhen
Center for Laboratory Medicine, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310014, China.
School of Laboratory Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, 310053, China.
J Nanobiotechnology. 2025 Jun 5;23(1):417. doi: 10.1186/s12951-025-03440-9.
Recurrence and metastasis remain significant challenges in the clinical treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The integration of photodynamic therapy and immunotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy for treating cancer in terms of safety and efficacy. However, conventional photodynamic therapy and anti-tumor immunotherapy face several limitations, including inadequate light source penetration, poor targeting precision, low response rates, and immune-related adverse effects. To address these issues, we developed a tumor microenvironment responsive polymer nano-immunomodulator for precise photodynamic immunotherapy of HCC. The nano-immunomodulator is self-assembled from glutathione responsive amphiphilic polymers (TPS) and pH-activatable photosensitizers (LET-Br), and is further loaded with the anticancer drug docetaxel. Additionally, it is conjugated with small-molecule agonists of Toll-like receptor 7/8 (TLR 7/8) and cyclic RGD (cRGD) targeting peptides. Upon reaching the tumor site, the PNI undergoes hydrolysis, enabling the efficient release of anticancer drugs in response to the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, under near-infrared (NIR) photoirradiation, the PNI exerts potent photodynamic effects to directly eliminate tumors. Remarkably, the PNI also functions as an in situ light-activated cancer vaccine, capable of inducing systemic antitumor immune responses and remodeling the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment to establish long-lasting immune memory. This synergistic combination of photodynamic therapy and targeted antitumor immune responses effectively inhibits tumor growth. Thus, this study not only presents a novel strategy for designing vaccine-like prodrugs to precisely modulate cancer immunotherapy, but also opens new avenues for the development of advanced therapies for HCC.
复发和转移仍然是肝细胞癌(HCC)临床治疗中的重大挑战。光动力疗法和免疫疗法的联合应用在安全性和有效性方面已成为一种有前景的癌症治疗策略。然而,传统的光动力疗法和抗肿瘤免疫疗法面临着一些局限性,包括光源穿透不足、靶向精度差、反应率低以及免疫相关不良反应。为了解决这些问题,我们开发了一种肿瘤微环境响应性聚合物纳米免疫调节剂,用于HCC的精确光动力免疫治疗。该纳米免疫调节剂由谷胱甘肽响应性两亲聚合物(TPS)和pH可激活的光敏剂(LET-Br)自组装而成,并进一步负载抗癌药物多西他赛。此外,它还与Toll样受体7/8(TLR 7/8)的小分子激动剂和环状RGD(cRGD)靶向肽偶联。到达肿瘤部位后,PNI发生水解,能够响应肿瘤微环境高效释放抗癌药物。此外,在近红外(NIR)光照射下,PNI发挥强大的光动力效应直接消除肿瘤。值得注意的是,PNI还作为一种原位光激活癌症疫苗,能够诱导全身抗肿瘤免疫反应并重塑免疫抑制性肿瘤微环境以建立持久的免疫记忆。光动力疗法与靶向抗肿瘤免疫反应的这种协同组合有效地抑制了肿瘤生长。因此,本研究不仅提出了一种设计疫苗样前药以精确调节癌症免疫治疗的新策略,也为HCC先进疗法的开发开辟了新途径。
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