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  2. Semiconducting Polymer Nano-regulators with Cascading Activation for Photodynamic Cancer Immunotherapy

Semiconducting Polymer Nano-regulators with Cascading Activation for Photodynamic Cancer Immunotherapy

  • Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2022 Mar 1;61(10):e202116669. doi: 10.1002/anie.202116669.
Shasha He 1 Jing Liu 2 3 4 5 Chi Zhang 1 Jun Wang 2 3 4 5 Kanyi Pu 1 6 7
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 70 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637457, Singapore.
  • 2 School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, Guangzhou International Campus, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China.
  • 3 National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China.
  • 4 Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, and Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China.
  • 5 Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China.
  • 6 School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637371, Singapore.
  • 7 Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 636921, Singapore.
Abstract

Combination photoimmunotherapy holds promise for tumor suppression; however, smart phototherapeutic agents that only activate their immune pharmaceutical action in tumors have been rarely developed. Herein, we report a semiconducting polymer (SP) nano-regulator (SPNT ) with cascading activation for combinational photodynamic Cancer Immunotherapy. SPNT comprises an immunoregulator (M-Trp: 1-methyltryptophan) conjugating to the side chain of the SP backbone via an apoptotic biomarker-cleavable linker. Under near-infrared photoirradiation, SPNT produces singlet oxygen to induce immunogenic Apoptosis. Concurrently, an apoptotic biomarker is upregulated, which triggers the specific cleavage of M-Trp for indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) activity inhibition, regulatory T cells reduction and cytotoxic T lymphocytes infiltration. SPNT -mediated combination photodynamic immunotherapy thus reprograms the tumor immune microenvironment, resulting in efficient suppression of tumors, and inhibition of lung metastasis.

Keywords

Apoptotic Biomarker; Cancer Therapy; Cascading Activation; Immunotherapy; Photodynamic Therapy.

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