机构:[1]Capital Med Univ, Xuanwu Hosp, Dept Gen Surg, Beijing 100053, Peoples R China首都医科大学宣武医院[2]Chinese Acad Sci, Key Lab Polymer Ecomat, Changchun Inst Appl Chem, Changchun 130022, Peoples R China[3]Jilin Univ, Key Lab, China Japan Union Hosp, Changchun 130033, Peoples R China吉林大学中日联谊医院[4]Jilin Univ, Engn Lab Lymphat Surg Jilin Prov, China Japan Union Hosp, Changchun 130033, Peoples R China吉林大学中日联谊医院
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) can destroy hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) through the thermal-killing effect and increase tumor immunogenicity by releasing tumor cell debris. However, insufficient RFA (iRFA) is frequently encountered and leaves behind malignant tissues in clinical settings. The immune responses induced by RFA are too weak to trigger an efficient immune response to eliminate residual tumors. Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7/8 agonists serve as potent immunological adjuvants in combinatorial cancer immunotherapy, capable of enhancing RFA-mediated immune responses. Nevertheless, the poor bioavailability and off-target toxicities compromised their clinical applications. To address this clinical challenge, mechanistic investigations is initially conducted and revealed that iRFA exacerbates tumor hypoxia and induces immune suppression. Building on these findings, azobenzene (Azo) is strategically utilized as a cleavable linker to prepare a novel hypoxia-activated TLR 7/8 agonist imidazoquinoline (IMDQ) prodrug nanoparticles (Azo-IMDQ-NPs) to enhance RFA-mediated antitumor immunity. Azo-IMDQ-NPs can be selectively reduced to IMDQ in aggravated hypoxic tumor microenvironments (TME) induced by iRFA, thereby reprogramming immunosuppressive TME, triggering potent antitumor immune responses to eliminate residual tumors, and establishing a long-term immunological memory effect to prevent tumor recurrence. This study proposed a novel strategy for engineering hypoxia-activated prodrug nanoparticles to potentiate RFA-mediated antitumor immunity against HCC and further extend its clinical value.
基金:
National Natural Science Foundation of China [82203885, 32401174]
第一作者机构:[1]Capital Med Univ, Xuanwu Hosp, Dept Gen Surg, Beijing 100053, Peoples R China
通讯作者:
通讯机构:[3]Jilin Univ, Key Lab, China Japan Union Hosp, Changchun 130033, Peoples R China[4]Jilin Univ, Engn Lab Lymphat Surg Jilin Prov, China Japan Union Hosp, Changchun 130033, Peoples R China
推荐引用方式(GB/T 7714):
Ji Guofeng,Guan Jian,Gong Leyi,et al.Hypoxia-Activated Imidazoquinoline Prodrug Nanoparticles Potentiate Radiofrequency Ablation-Mediated Antitumor Immunity Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma[J].SMALL.2025,doi:10.1002/smll.202505833.
APA:
Ji, Guofeng,Guan, Jian,Gong, Leyi,Xu, Hang,Shi, Jiarong...&Li, Jia.(2025).Hypoxia-Activated Imidazoquinoline Prodrug Nanoparticles Potentiate Radiofrequency Ablation-Mediated Antitumor Immunity Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma.SMALL,,
MLA:
Ji, Guofeng,et al."Hypoxia-Activated Imidazoquinoline Prodrug Nanoparticles Potentiate Radiofrequency Ablation-Mediated Antitumor Immunity Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma".SMALL .(2025)