A nanoparticle-based tour de force for enhancing immunogenic cell death elicited by photodynamic therapy.

Oliver Kepp, Guido Kroemer

Oncoimmunology 2022

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Immunogenic cell death (ICD) involves the release of ATP, which can be destroyed by ectonucleotidases, converting it into immunosuppressive adenosine. Hence, inhibition of such ectonucleotidases is a strategy for enhancing ICD-elicited anticancer immunity. In a recent paper in Science Translational Medicine, Mao et al. report the construction of reactive oxygen-labile nanoparticles that bear two functionalities, namely (i) the capacity to sensitize cancer cells to near-infrared light (NIL) irradiation, hence inducing ICD in the context of photodynamic therapy, and (ii) the peculiarity to respond to NIL by releasing a pharmacological inhibitor of ectonucleotidases, hence enhancing intratumoral concentrations of ATP. In preclinical models, these nanoparticles are highly efficient in inducing anticancer immune responses. © 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Citation

Oliver Kepp, Guido Kroemer. A nanoparticle-based tour de force for enhancing immunogenic cell death elicited by photodynamic therapy. Oncoimmunology. 2022;11(1):2098658