A Multifunctional Biomimetic Nanoplatform for Dual Tumor Targeting-Assisted Multimodal Therapy of Colon Cancer.

in ACS nano by Xin Wan, Ying Zhang, Yiqun Wan, Mengmeng Xiong, Anqi Xie, Yongye Liang, Hao Wan

TLDR

  • The study developed a special kind of tiny particles (nanoparticles) that can target and kill cancer cells in the colon. The nanoparticles have a special coating that makes them stick to the cancer cells and a special chemical inside that makes them explode and kill the cancer cells. The study also found that the nanoparticles can help the immune system fight the cancer cells by making them explode and releasing a special chemical that helps the immune system find and attack the cancer cells.

Abstract

The biomimetic nanoparticles (NPs) possessing abilities of tumor targeting and multimodal therapy show great potential for efficient combat of colon cancer. Herein, we developed a multifunctional biomimetic nanoplatform (FeO@PDA@CaCO-ICG@CM) based on CaCO-modified magnetic polydopamine (PDA) loaded with indocyanine green (ICG), which was encapsulated by a mouse lymphoma cell (EL4) membrane (CM) expressing functional proteins (i.e., lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1, LFA-1; transforming growth factor-β receptor, TGF-βR; programmed cell death protein 1, PD-1; and factor related apoptosis ligand, FasL). Under magnetic attraction and LFA-1/PD-1-mediated endocytosis, FeO@PDA@CaCO-ICG@CM efficiently targeted CT26 colon tumor cells. The released calcium ion (Ca) from the NPs triggered by acidic tumor microenvironment, the enhanced photothermal effect contributed by the combination of PDA and ICG, and FasL's direct killing effect together induced tumor cells apoptosis. Moreover, the apoptosis of CT26 cells induced immunogenic cell death (ICD) to promote the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) to activate CD4/CD8T cells, thereby fighting against tumor cells, which could further be boosted by programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) blockage and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) scavenging by FeO@PDA@CaCO-ICG@CM. As a result,satisfactory therapeutic effect was observed for CT26 tumor bearing-mice treated with FeO@PDA@CaCO-ICG@CM under laser irradiation and magnetic attraction, which could eradicate primary tumors and restrain distant tumors through dual tumor targeting-assisted multimodal therapy and eliciting adaptive antitumor immune response, generating the immune memory for inhibiting tumor metastasis and recurrence. Taken together, the multifunctional biomimetic nanoplatform exhibits superior antitumor effects, providing an insightful strategy for the field of nanomaterial-based treatment of cancer.

Overview

  • The study aims to develop a multifunctional biomimetic nanoplatform for efficient combat of colon cancer. The nanoplatform is based on CaCO-modified magnetic polydopamine (PDA) loaded with indocyanine green (ICG), which is encapsulated by a mouse lymphoma cell (EL4) membrane (CM) expressing functional proteins (i.e., lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1, LFA-1; transforming growth factor-β receptor, TGF-βR; programmed cell death protein 1, PD-1; and factor related apoptosis ligand, FasL).
  • The study uses a multifunctional biomimetic nanoplatform that combines magnetic attraction, LFA-1/PD-1-mediated endocytosis, calcium ion release, enhanced photothermal effect, and FasL's direct killing effect to target CT26 colon tumor cells and induce apoptosis. The study also explores the immunogenic cell death (ICD) induced by the apoptosis of CT26 cells, which promotes the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) to activate CD4/CD8T cells, thereby fighting against tumor cells. The study further investigates the effect of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) blockage and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) scavenging by the nanoplatform on the immune response. The study concludes that the multifunctional biomimetic nanoplatform exhibits superior antitumor effects and provides an insightful strategy for the field of nanomaterial-based treatment of cancer.

Comparative Analysis & Findings

  • The study compares the outcomes observed under different experimental conditions, including magnetic attraction, LFA-1/PD-1-mediated endocytosis, calcium ion release, enhanced photothermal effect, and FasL's direct killing effect. The study identifies that the combination of these factors leads to efficient targeting of CT26 colon tumor cells and induction of apoptosis. The study also identifies that the immunogenic cell death (ICD) induced by the apoptosis of CT26 cells promotes the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) to activate CD4/CD8T cells, thereby fighting against tumor cells. The study concludes that the multifunctional biomimetic nanoplatform exhibits superior antitumor effects compared to other nanomaterial-based treatments for colon cancer.

Implications and Future Directions

  • The study's findings suggest that the multifunctional biomimetic nanoplatform is a promising strategy for the treatment of colon cancer. The study highlights the importance of combining different mechanisms to achieve efficient targeting and induction of apoptosis in tumor cells. The study also emphasizes the role of the immune response in fighting against tumor cells and the potential of nanomaterial-based treatments to elicit an adaptive antitumor immune response. The study suggests future research directions to further explore the mechanisms underlying the immune response and to develop more advanced nanomaterial-based treatments for colon cancer.