Immunogenic Cell Death in Hematological Malignancy Therapy

Homologous-Targeting Porous Type I/II Nanophotosensitizers for Efficient Delivery of STING Agonists and Enhanced Photodynamic Cancer Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy as a transformative cancer treatment modality frequently struggles with the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, which hinders effective immune responses. In this report, we construct biomimetic tumor cell membrane-cloaked porous covalent organic framework (COF) nanophotosensitizers (CMSCOFs) to synergistically enhance photodynamic therapy (PDT) and stimulate interferon genes (STING)-mediated immunotherapy. CMSCOF is prepared from porphyrin and benzothiadiazole-based units and cloaked with 4T1 cancer cell membranes for homologous tumor targeting. The porous structure of COF enables efficient encapsulation of the non-nucleotide STING agonist SR717. Upon 660 nm light irradiation, CMSCOFs trigger both type I and II photodynamic effects by producing both superoxide (O2•-) and singlet oxygen (1O2). The tumor cell membrane-cloaked design improves the stability of the nanophotosensitizers and mimics the natural cancer cells for enhanced blood circulation, tumor accumulation, and homologous-targeting to tumors. Inside tumor tissues, this unique CMSCOF design leads to enhanced immunogenic cell death (ICD) of tumor cells upon exposure to light irradiation. Furthermore, the encapsulated STING agonist SR717 is released after cellular internalization to activate the STING pathway and elicit a potent antitumor immune response. This synergistic approach effectively reverses the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, enhances cytotoxic T cell infiltration, and suppresses both primary and metastatic tumors, demonstrating the potential of CMSCOF nanophotosensitizers as a promising platform for photodynamic cancer immunotherapy.

A novel machine learning-driven immunogenic cell death signature for predicting ovarian cancer prognosis

Background

Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the most lethal malignancies in women, primarily due to the absence of reliable predictive biomarkers and effective therapies. The complex role of immunogenic cell death (ICD) in OC remains poorly understood, despite its critical implications for enhancing immune responses against tumors. We are committed to developing and validating a novel ICD-related gene signature and producing certain guiding value for the clinical treatment of OC.

Methods

We employed single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-ovarian carcinoma dataset to identify ICD-associated genes. A combination of 10 different machine learning approaches was used to construct an ICD-related signature (ICDRS), which was then validated across multiple datasets. The model's predictive power was integrated into a clinical nomogram to predict patient outcomes. Ultimately, we assessed the reaction of various risk subgroups to screen pharmaceuticals designed to address specific risk factors in the context of personalized medicine.

Results

We identified 72 prognostic genes related to ICD. An unanimous ICDRS was developed using a 101-combination machine learning computational structure, demonstrating outstanding predictive accuracy for prognosis and clinical use. Patients categorized as low ICDRS varied from those of high ICDRS in terms of biological processes, mutation profiles, and immune cell penetration in the tumor microenvironment. In addition, potential medications that target specific subgroups at risk were identified.

Conclusions

The ICDRS presents a significant advancement for prognostication of patients with OC, facilitating refined predictions and the exploration of personalized treatment pathways. Prospective clinical trials are necessary to validate its clinical utility and expand the application of this model to other cancer types.

Targeting regulated cell death: Apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, and cuproptosis in anticancer immunity

In the evolving landscape of cancer treatment, the strategic manipulation of regulated cell death (RCD) pathways has emerged as a crucial component of effective anti-tumor immunity. Evidence suggests that tumor cells undergoing RCD can modify the immunogenicity of the tumor microenvironment (TME), potentially enhancing its ability to suppress cancer progression and metastasis. In this review, we first explore the mechanisms of apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, and cuproptosis, along with the crosstalk between these cell death modalities. We then discuss how these processes activate antigen-presenting cells, facilitate the cross-priming of CD8+ T cells, and trigger anti-tumor immune responses, highlighting the complex effects of novel forms of tumor cell death on TME and tumor biology. Furthermore, we summarize potential drugs and nanoparticles that can induce or inhibit these emerging RCD pathways and their therapeutic roles in cancer treatment. Finally, we put forward existing challenges and future prospects for targeting RCD in anti-cancer immunity. Overall, this review enhances our understanding of the molecular mechanisms and biological impacts of RCD-based therapies, providing new perspectives and strategies for cancer treatment.

Photoimmunologic Therapy of Stubborn Biofilm via Inhibiting Bacteria Revival and Preventing Reinfection

Stubborn biofilm infections pose serious threats to public health. Clinical practices highly rely on mechanical debridement and antibiotics, which often fail and lead to persistent and recurrent infections. The main culprits are 1) persistent bacteria reviving, colonizing, and rejuvenating biofilms, and 2) secondary pathogen exposure, particularly in individuals with chronic diseases. Addressing how to inhibit persistent bacteria revival and prevent reinfection simultaneously is still a major challenge. Herein, an oligo-ethylene glycol-modified lipophilic cationic photosensitizer (PS), TBTCP-PEG7, is developed. It effectively eradicates Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) under light irradiation. Furthermore, TBTCP-PEG7-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) not only conquers stubborn biofilm infections by downregulating the two-component system (TCS), quorum sensing (QS), and virulence factors, thereby reducing intercellular communication, inhibiting persistent bacterial regrowth and biofilm remodeling but also prevents reinfection by upregulating heat shock protein-related genes to induce immunogenetic cell death (ICD) and establish immune memory. In vivo, TBTCP-PEG7 efficiently eradicates MRSA biofilm adhered to medical catheters, stimulates angiogenesis, reduces inflammatory factor expression, and accelerates wound healing. Furthermore, ICD promotes short-term immune and long-term immunological memory for coping with secondary infections. This two-pronged strategy not only effectively overcomes stubborn, persistent and recurrent biofilm infection, but also provides theoretical guidance for designing the next generation of antibacterial materials.

Shifting cold to hot tumors by nanoparticle-loaded drugs and products

Cold tumors lack antitumor immunity and are resistant to therapy, representing a major challenge in cancer medicine. Because of the immunosuppressive spirit of the tumor microenvironment (TME), this form of tumor has a low response to immunotherapy, radiotherapy, and also chemotherapy. Cold tumors have low infiltration of immune cells and a high expression of co-inhibitory molecules, such as immune checkpoints and immunosuppressive molecules. Therefore, targeting TME and remodeling immunity in cold tumors can improve the chance of tumor repression after therapy. However, tumor stroma prevents the infiltration of inflammatory cells and hinders the penetration of diverse molecules and drugs. Nanoparticles are an intriguing tool for the delivery of immune modulatory agents and shifting cold to hot tumors. In this review article, we discuss the mechanisms underlying the ability of nanoparticles loaded with different drugs and products to modulate TME and enhance immune cell infiltration. We also focus on newest progresses in the design and development of nanoparticle-based strategies for changing cold to hot tumors. These include the use of nanoparticles for targeted delivery of immunomodulatory agents, such as cytokines, small molecules, and checkpoint inhibitors, and for co-delivery of chemotherapy drugs and immunomodulatory agents. Furthermore, we discuss the potential of nanoparticles for enhancing the efficacy of cancer vaccines and cell therapy for overcoming resistance to treatment.

Synergistic Combination of Oral Transcytotic Nanomedicine and Histone Demethylase Inhibitor for Enhanced Cancer Chemoimmunotherapy

Oral nanomedicines present a preferable avenue for cancer immunotherapy, but their efficacy is limited by gastrointestinal absorption challenges, tumor physiopathologic barriers, and immune evasion mechanisms. Here, we present an approach that combines an oral transcytotic doxorubicin (DOX) nanomedicine with the histone demethylase inhibitor 5-carboxy-8-hydroxyquinoline (IOX1), thereby enabling synergistic chemoimmunotherapy. We demonstrate that IOX1 significantly augments the transcytosis capabilities of DOX-loaded poly(2-(N-oxide-N,N-diethylamino)ethylmethacrylate)-poly(ε-caprolactone) micelles (OPDOX), promoting their transcellular transport across various cellular barriers (villus, endothelial, and tumor cells), thus improving oral adsorption, vascular extravasation, and tumor penetration. Furthermore, IOX1 sensitizes chemotherapy to potentiate DOX-induced immunogenic cell death and downregulates programmed cell death-ligand 1 to disrupt the immune checkpoint mechanism, synergistically boosting robust antitumor immune responses. Consequently, orally administered OPDOX in combination with IOX1 efficiently inhibits CT26 tumor growth, highlighting the significant potential for enhancing the efficacy of oral nanomedicines in cancer chemoimmunotherapy.

The multifaceted perspectives on the regulation of lncRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma ferroptosis: from bench-to-bedside

Despite being characterized by high malignancy, high morbidity, and low survival rates, the underlying mechanism of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been fully elucidated. Ferroptosis, a non-apoptotic form of regulated cell death, possesses distinct morphological, biochemical, and genetic characteristics compared to other types of cell death. Dysregulated actions within the molecular network that regulates ferroptosis have been identified as significant contributors to the progression of HCC. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as influential contributors to diverse cellular processes, regulating gene function and expression through multiple mechanistic pathways. An increasing body of evidence indicates that deregulated lncRNAs are implicated in regulating malignant events such as cell proliferation, growth, invasion, and metabolism by influencing ferroptosis in HCC. Therefore, elucidating the inherent role of ferroptosis and the modulatory functions of lncRNAs on ferroptosis in HCC might promote the development of novel therapeutic interventions for this disease. This review provides a succinct overview of the roles of ferroptosis and ferroptosis-related lncRNAs in HCC progression and treatment, aiming to drive the development of promising therapeutic targets and biomarkers for HCC patients.

Sensitize Tumor Immunotherapy: Immunogenic Cell Death Inducing Nanosystems

Low immunogenicity of tumors poses a challenge in the development of effective tumor immunotherapy. However, emerging evidence suggests that certain therapeutic approaches, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and phototherapy, can induce varying degrees of immunogenic cell death (ICD). This ICD phenomenon leads to the release of tumor antigens and the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs), thereby enhancing tumor immunogenicity and promoting immune responses. However, the use of a single conventional ICD inducer often fails to achieve in situ tumor ablation and establish long-term anti-tumor immune responses. Furthermore, the induction of ICD induction varies among different approaches, and the distribution of the therapeutic agent within the body influences the level of ICD and the occurrence of toxic side effects. To address these challenges and further boost tumor immunity, researchers have explored nanosystems as inducers of ICD in combination with tumor immunotherapy. This review examines the mechanisms of ICD and different induction methods, with a specific focus on the relationship between ICD and tumor immunity. The aim is to explore the research advancements utilizing various nanomaterials to enhance the body's anti-tumor effects by inducing ICD. This paper aims to contribute to the development and clinical application of nanomaterial-based ICD inducers in the field of cancer immunotherapy by providing important theoretical guidance and practical references.

Nanoparticle-Mediated Immunotherapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype with the worst prognosis and highest recurrence rates. The treatment choices are limited due to the scarcity of endocrine and HER2 targets, except for chemotherapy. However, the side effects of chemotherapy restrict its long-term usage. Immunotherapy shows potential as a promising therapeutic strategy, such as inducing immunogenic cell death, immune checkpoint therapy, and immune adjuvant therapy. Nanotechnology offers unique advantages in the field of immunotherapy, such as improved delivery and targeted release of immunotherapeutic agents and enhanced bioavailability of immunomodulators. As well as the potential for combination therapy synergistically enhanced by nanocarriers. Nanoparticles-based combined application of multiple immunotherapies is designed to take the tactics of enhancing immunogenicity and reversing immunosuppression. Moreover, the increasing abundance of biomedical materials holds more promise for the development of this field. This review summarizes the advances in the field of nanoparticle-mediated immunotherapy in terms of both immune strategies for treatment and the development of biomaterials and presents challenges and hopes for the future.

Preclinical efficacy of carfilzomib in BRAF-mutant colorectal cancer models

Serine/threonine-protein kinase B-raf (BRAF) mutations are found in 8-15% of colorectal cancer patients and identify a subset of tumors with poor outcome in the metastatic setting. We have previously reported that BRAF-mutant human cells display a high rate of protein production, causing proteotoxic stress, and are selectively sensitive to the proteasome inhibitors bortezomib and carfilzomib. In this work, we tested whether carfilzomib could restrain the growth of BRAF-mutant colorectal tumors not only by targeting cancer cells directly, but also by promoting an immune-mediated antitumor response. In human and mouse colorectal cancer cells, carfilzomib triggered robust endoplasmic reticulum stress and autophagy, followed by the emission of immunogenic-damage-associated molecules. Intravenous administration of carfilzomib delayed the growth of BRAF-mutant murine tumors and mobilized the danger-signal proteins calreticulin and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1). Analyses of drug-treated samples revealed increased intratumor recruitment of activated cytotoxic T cells and natural killers, concomitant with the downregulation of forkhead box protein P3 (Foxp3)+ T-cell surface glycoprotein CD4 (CD4)+ T cells, indicating that carfilzomib promotes reshaping of the immune microenvironment of BRAF-mutant murine colorectal tumors. These results will inform the design of clinical trials in BRAF-mutant colorectal cancer patients.

Acid-Activated TAT Peptide-Modified Biomimetic Boron Nitride Nanoparticles for Enhanced Targeted Codelivery of Doxorubicin and Indocyanine Green: A Synergistic Cancer Photothermal and Chemotherapeutic Approach

The evolution of nano-drug delivery systems addresses the limitations of conventional cancer treatments with stimulus-responsive nanomaterial-based delivery systems presenting temporal and spatial advantages. Among various nanomaterials, boron nitride nanoparticles (BNNs) demonstrate significant potential in drug delivery and cancer treatment, providing a high drug loading capacity, multifunctionality, and low toxicity. However, the challenge lies in augmenting nanomaterial accumulation exclusively within tumors while preserving healthy tissues. To address this, we introduce a novel approach involving cancer cell membrane-functionalized BNNs (CM-BIDdT) for the codelivery of doxorubicin (Dox) and indocyanine green to treat homologous tumor. The cancer cell membrane biomimetic CM-BIDdT nanoparticles possess highly efficient homologous targeting capabilities toward tumor cells. The surface modification with acylated TAT peptides (dTAT) further enhances the nanoparticle intracellular accumulation. Consequently, CM-BIDdT nanoparticles, responsive to the acidic tumor microenvironment, hydrolyze amide bonds, activate the transmembrane penetrating function, and achieve precise targeting with substantial accumulation at the tumor site. Additionally, the photothermal effect of CM-BIDdT under laser irradiation not only kills cells through thermal ablation but also destroys the membrane on the surface of the nanoparticles, facilitating Dox release. Therefore, the fabricated CM-BIDdT nanoparticles orchestrate chemo-photothermal combination therapy and effectively inhibit tumor growth with minimal adverse effects, holding promise as a new modality for synergistic cancer treatment.

Clinical application of immunogenic cell death inducers in cancer immunotherapy: turning cold tumors hot

Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising cancer treatment option in recent years. In immune "hot" tumors, characterized by abundant immune cell infiltration, immunotherapy can improve patients' prognosis by activating the function of immune cells. By contrast, immune "cold" tumors are often less sensitive to immunotherapy owing to low immunogenicity of tumor cells, an immune inhibitory tumor microenvironment, and a series of immune-escape mechanisms. Immunogenic cell death (ICD) is a promising cellular process to facilitate the transformation of immune "cold" tumors to immune "hot" tumors by eliciting innate and adaptive immune responses through the release of (or exposure to) damage-related molecular patterns. Accumulating evidence suggests that various traditional therapies can induce ICD, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiotherapy, and photodynamic therapy. In this review, we summarize the biological mechanisms and hallmarks of ICD and introduce some newly discovered and technologically innovative inducers that activate the immune system at the molecular level. Furthermore, we also discuss the clinical applications of combing ICD inducers with cancer immunotherapy. This review will provide valuable insights into the future development of ICD-related combination therapeutics and potential management for "cold" tumors.

Engineering Dual-Responsive Prodrug-MOFs as Immunogenic Cell Death Initiator for Enhancing Cancer Immunotherapy

In recent years, the anticancer effects of disulfiram, a clinical drug for anti-alcoholism, are confirmed. However, several defects limit the clinical translation of disulfiram obviously, such as Cu(II)-dependent anticancer activity, instability, and non-selectivity for cancer cells. Herein, a phosphate and hydrogen peroxide dual-responsive nanoplatform (PCu-HA-DQ) is reported, which is constructed by encapsulating disulfiram prodrug (DQ) and modifying hyaluronic acid (HA) on copper doping metal-organic frameworks (PCu MOFs). PCu-HA-DQ is expected to accumulate in tumor by targeting CD-44 receptors and enable guidance with magnetic resonance imaging. Inside the tumor, Cu(DTC)2 will be generated in situ based on a dual-responsive reaction. In detail, the high concentration of phosphate can induce the release of DQ, after that, the intracellular hydrogen peroxide will further mediate the generation of Cu(DTC)2 . In vitro and in vivo results indicate PCu-HA-DQ can induce the apoptosis as well as immunogenic cell death (ICD) of tumor cells distinctly, leading to enhanced immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) efficacy by combining the anti-programmed death-1 antibody. This work provides a portable strategy to construct a dual-responsive nanoplatform integrating tumor-targeted ability and multi-therapy, and the designed nanoplatform is also an ICD inducer, which presents a prospect for boosting systemic antitumor immunity and ICI efficacy.

Therapeutic strategies to enhance immune response induced by multiple myeloma cells

Multiple myeloma (MM)as a haematological malignancy is still incurable. In addition to the presence of somatic genetic mutations in myeloma patients, the presence of immunosuppressive microenvironment greatly affects the outcome of treatment. Although the discovery of immunotherapy makes it possible to break the risk of high toxicity and side effects of traditional chemotherapeutic drugs, there are still obstacles of ineffective treatment or disease recurrence. In this review, we discuss therapeutic strategies to further enhance the specific anti-tumor immune response by activating the immunogenicity of MM cells themselves. New ideas for future myeloma therapeutic approaches are provided.

Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell immunotherapy in blood cancers: ready for prime time?

In the last years, the tumor microenvironment (TME) has emerged as a promising target for therapeutic interventions in cancer. Cancer cells are highly dependent on the TME to growth and evade the immune system. Three major cell subpopulations are facing each other in the TME: cancer cells, immune suppressor cells, and immune effector cells. These interactions are influenced by the tumor stroma which is composed of extracellular matrix, bystander cells, cytokines, and soluble factors. The TME can be very different depending on the tissue where cancer arises as in solid tumors vs blood cancers. Several studies have shown correlations between the clinical outcome and specific patterns of TME immune cell infiltration. In the recent years, a growing body of evidence suggests that unconventional T cells like natural killer T (NKT) cells, mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, and γδ T cells are key players in the protumor or antitumor TME commitment in solid tumors and blood cancers. In this review, we will focus on γδ T cells, especially Vγ9Vδ2 T cells, to discuss their peculiarities, pros, and cons as potential targets of therapeutic interventions in blood cancers.