Engineering a photosensitizer nanoplatform for amplified photodynamic immunotherapy via tumor microenvironment modulation.
11 Feb 2021-Vol. 6, Iss: 2, pp 120-131
TL;DR: This nanoplatform demonstrates an amplified photodynamic immunotherapy via tumor microenvironment modulation, exhibiting outstanding therapeutic efficacy against tumor growth and metastasis with negligible side toxicity.
Abstract: Photosensitizer-based photodynamic therapy (PDT) can not only kill tumor cells by the generated cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS), but also trigger immunogenic cell death (ICD) and activate an immune response for immunotherapy. However, such photodynamic immunotherapy suffers from major obstacles in the tumor microenvironment. The hypoxic microenvironment greatly weakens PDT, while the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment caused by aberrant tumor blood vessels and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) leads to a significant reduction in immunotherapy. To overcome these obstacles, herein, an engineered photosensitizer nanoplatform is designed for amplified photodynamic immunotherapy by integrating chlorin e6 (Ce6, a photosensitizer), axitinib (AXT, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor) and dextro-1-methyl tryptophan (1MT, an IDO inhibitor). In our nanoplatform, AXT improves the tumor microenvironment by normalizing tumor blood vessels, which not only promotes PDT by reducing the level of hypoxia of the tumor microenvironment, but also promotes immunotherapy through facilitating infiltration of immune effector cells into the tumor and reversing the immunosuppressive effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Moreover, 1MT effectively inhibits the activity of IDO, further reducing the immunosuppressive nature of the tumor microenvironment. Therefore, this nanoplatform demonstrates an amplified photodynamic immunotherapy via tumor microenvironment modulation, exhibiting outstanding therapeutic efficacy against tumor growth and metastasis with negligible side toxicity. The current concept of engineering photosensitizer nanoplatforms for overcoming photodynamic immunotherapy obstacles provides a promising strategy against tumors.
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TL;DR: This work rationally designed a Cu-based metal-organic framework-199 (MOF-199) nanoplatform integrating vitamin k3 (Vk3) for amplified CDT-mediated cancer therapy, which could accumulate efficiently in tumor tissues through enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect.
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TL;DR: In this article, a review of the recent progress in new nanomaterials designed to combat hypoxia and avoid the associated limitation of photodynamic therapy (PDT) is presented.
Abstract: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has aroused great research interest in recent years owing to its high spatiotemporal selectivity, minimal invasiveness, and low systemic toxicity. However, due to the hypoxic nature characteristic of many solid tumors, PDT is frequently limited in therapeutic effect. Moreover, the consumption of O2 during PDT may further aggravate the tumor hypoxic condition, which promotes tumor proliferation, metastasis, and invasion resulting in poor prognosis of treatment. Therefore, numerous efforts have been made to increase the O2 content in tumor with the goal of enhancing PDT efficacy. Herein, these strategies developed in past decade are comprehensively reviewed to alleviate tumor hypoxia, including 1) delivering exogenous O2 to tumor directly, 2) generating O2 in situ, 3) reducing tumor cellular O2 consumption by inhibiting respiration, 4) regulating the TME, (e.g., normalizing tumor vasculature or disrupting tumor extracellular matrix), and 5) inhibiting the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) signaling pathway to relieve tumor hypoxia. Additionally, the O2 -independent Type-I PDT is also discussed as an alternative strategy. By reviewing recent progress, it is hoped that this review will provide innovative perspectives in new nanomaterials designed to combat hypoxia and avoid the associated limitation of PDT.
146 citations
TL;DR: In this article, an injectable hydrogel strategy via an L-norvaline-based immunomodulating gelator that could effectively block ARG1 pathway was presented.
92 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a dual-modal phototherapeutic nanoplatform that achieved both photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) under single NIR laser (660-nm) irradiation for chlorin e6 (Ce6) and copper sulfide (CuS) nanoparticles (NPs) is presented.
85 citations
TL;DR: The emerging nanomedicine-based strategies could subtly modulate the pharmacokinetics of therapeutic compounds and the TME to optimize both PDT and immunotherapy, resulting in an improved antitumor effect, and highlights the synergistic nanotherapeutics used to amplify immune responses combined with immunotherapy against tumors.
Abstract: Cancer immunotherapy has made tremendous clinical progress in advanced-stage malignancies. However, patients with various tumors exhibit a low response rate to immunotherapy because of a powerful immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and insufficient immunogenicity of tumors. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) can not only directly kill tumor cells, but also elicit immunogenic cell death (ICD), providing antitumor immunity. Unfortunately, limitations from the inherent nature and complex TME significantly reduce the efficiency of PDT. Recently, smart nanomedicine-based strategies could subtly modulate the pharmacokinetics of therapeutic compounds and the TME to optimize both PDT and immunotherapy, resulting in an improved antitumor effect. Here, the emerging nanomedicines for PDT-driven cancer immunotherapy are reviewed, including hypoxia-reversed nanomedicines, nanosized metal-organic frameworks, and subcellular targeted nanoparticles (NPs). Moreover, we highlight the synergistic nanotherapeutics used to amplify immune responses combined with immunotherapy against tumors. Lastly, the challenges and future expectations in the field of PDT-driven cancer immunotherapy are discussed.
68 citations
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6,024 citations
TL;DR: PDT is being tested in the clinic for use in oncology — to treat cancers of the head and neck, brain, lung, pancreas, intraperitoneal cavity, breast, prostate and skin.
Abstract: The therapeutic properties of light have been known for thousands of years, but it was only in the last century that photodynamic therapy (PDT) was developed. At present, PDT is being tested in the clinic for use in oncology--to treat cancers of the head and neck, brain, lung, pancreas, intraperitoneal cavity, breast, prostate and skin. How does PDT work, and how can it be used to treat cancer and other diseases?
5,041 citations
TL;DR: Emerging evidence supporting an alternative hypothesis is reviewed—that certain antiangiogenic agents can also transiently “normalize” the abnormal structure and function of tumor vasculature to make it more efficient for oxygen and drug delivery.
Abstract: Solid tumors require blood vessels for growth, and many new cancer therapies are directed against the tumor vasculature. The widely held view is that these antiangiogenic therapies should destroy the tumor vasculature, thereby depriving the tumor of oxygen and nutrients. Here, I review emerging evidence supporting an alternative hypothesis-that certain antiangiogenic agents can also transiently "normalize" the abnormal structure and function of tumor vasculature to make it more efficient for oxygen and drug delivery. Drugs that induce vascular normalization can alleviate hypoxia and increase the efficacy of conventional therapies if both are carefully scheduled. A better understanding of the molecular and cellular underpinnings of vascular normalization may ultimately lead to more effective therapies not only for cancer but also for diseases with abnormal vasculature, as well as regenerative medicine, in which the goal is to create and maintain a functionally normal vasculature.
4,952 citations