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Yamaguchi H, Okada M, Otani T, On J, Shibuma S, Takino T, Watanabe J, Tsukamoto Y, Ogura R, Oishi M, Suzuki T, Ishikawa A, Sakata H, Natsumeda M. Near-Infrared Photoimmunotherapy in Brain Tumors-An Unexplored Frontier. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2025; 18:751. [PMID: 40430568 PMCID: PMC12115099 DOI: 10.3390/ph18050751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2025] [Revised: 04/16/2025] [Accepted: 05/13/2025] [Indexed: 05/29/2025] Open
Abstract
Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a promising cancer treatment that uses near-infrared light to activate a conjugate of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) and a photoactivatable silica phthalocyanine dye (IRDye700DX: IR700). Unlike conventional photodynamic therapy (PDT), NIR-PIT selectively destroys targeted tumor cells while preserving the surrounding normal tissue and providing superior tissue penetration. Recently, NIR-PIT has been approved for the treatment of unresectable recurrent head and neck cancers in Japan. It induces highly selective cancer cell death; therefore, it is expected to be a new curative treatment option for various cancers, including brain tumors. In this review, we compare the principles of NIR-PIT and PDT and discuss the potential applications of NIR-PIT for brain tumors. We selected targetable proteins across various types of brain tumors and devised a strategy to effectively pass the mAb-IR700 conjugate through the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which is a significant challenge for NIR-PIT in treating brain tumors. Innovative approaches for delivering the mAb-IR700 conjugate across the BBB include exosomes, nanoparticle-based systems, and cell-penetrating peptides. Small-molecule compounds, such as affibodies, are anticipated to rapidly accumulate in tumors within intracranial models, and our preliminary experiments demonstrated rapid uptake. NIR-PIT also induces immunogenic cell death and activates the anti-tumor immune response. Overall, NIR-PIT is a promising approach for treating brain tumors. It has the potential to overcome the limitations of conventional therapies and offers new hope to patients with brain tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruka Yamaguchi
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, The Nippon Dental University, Niigata 951-8580, Japan;
| | - Masayasu Okada
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (M.O.); (J.O.); (S.S.); (T.T.); (J.W.); (Y.T.); (R.O.); (M.O.)
- Department of Brain Tumor Biology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Takuya Otani
- Near InfraRed Photo-ImmunoTherapy Research Institute, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, Osaka 573-1010, Japan;
| | - Jotaro On
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (M.O.); (J.O.); (S.S.); (T.T.); (J.W.); (Y.T.); (R.O.); (M.O.)
| | - Satoshi Shibuma
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (M.O.); (J.O.); (S.S.); (T.T.); (J.W.); (Y.T.); (R.O.); (M.O.)
| | - Toru Takino
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (M.O.); (J.O.); (S.S.); (T.T.); (J.W.); (Y.T.); (R.O.); (M.O.)
| | - Jun Watanabe
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (M.O.); (J.O.); (S.S.); (T.T.); (J.W.); (Y.T.); (R.O.); (M.O.)
| | - Yoshihiro Tsukamoto
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (M.O.); (J.O.); (S.S.); (T.T.); (J.W.); (Y.T.); (R.O.); (M.O.)
| | - Ryosuke Ogura
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (M.O.); (J.O.); (S.S.); (T.T.); (J.W.); (Y.T.); (R.O.); (M.O.)
| | - Makoto Oishi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (M.O.); (J.O.); (S.S.); (T.T.); (J.W.); (Y.T.); (R.O.); (M.O.)
| | - Takamasa Suzuki
- Faculty of Engineering, Niigata University, Niigata 950-2181, Japan;
| | - Akihiro Ishikawa
- Startup Incubation Center, Shimadzu Corporation, Kyoto 604-8511, Japan; (A.I.); (H.S.)
| | - Hideyuki Sakata
- Startup Incubation Center, Shimadzu Corporation, Kyoto 604-8511, Japan; (A.I.); (H.S.)
| | - Manabu Natsumeda
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (M.O.); (J.O.); (S.S.); (T.T.); (J.W.); (Y.T.); (R.O.); (M.O.)
- Advanced Treatment of Neurological Diseases Branch, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
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Bhojnagarwala PS, Jose J, Zhao S, Weiner DB. DNA-based immunotherapy for cancer: In vivo approaches for recalcitrant targets. Mol Ther 2025:S1525-0016(25)00282-5. [PMID: 40211538 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2025.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2025] [Revised: 04/01/2025] [Accepted: 04/07/2025] [Indexed: 05/10/2025] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment and complements traditional therapies, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and targeted therapies. Immunotherapy redirects the patient's immune system against tumors via several immune-mediated approaches. Over the past few years, therapeutic immunization, which enable the patient's T cells to better recognize and kill tumors, have been increasingly tested in the clinic, with several approaches demonstrating treatment improvements. There has been a renewed interest in cancer vaccines due to advances in tumor antigen identification, immune response optimization, novel adjuvants, next-generation vaccine delivery platforms, and antigen designs. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated progress in nucleic acid-based vaccine manufacturing, which spurred broader interest in mRNA or plasmid platforms. Enhanced DNA vaccine designs, including optimized leader sequences and RNA and codon optimizations, improved formulations, and delivery via adaptive electroporation using stereotactic intramuscular/intradermal methods have improved T cell responses to plasmid-delivered tumor antigens. Additionally, advancements for direct in vivo delivery of DNA-encoded monospecific/bispecific antibodies offer novel tumor-targeting strategies. This review summarizes the recent clinical data for therapeutic cancer vaccines utilizing the DNA platform, including vaccines targeting common tumor-associated and viral antigens and neoantigen vaccines using nucleic acid technologies. We also summarize preclinical data using DNA-launched monoclonal/bispecific antibodies, underscoring their potential as a novel cancer therapy tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratik S Bhojnagarwala
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, The Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Joshua Jose
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, The Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shushu Zhao
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, The Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David B Weiner
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, The Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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In H, Park M, Lee H, Han KH. Immune Cell Engagers: Advancing Precision Immunotherapy for Cancer Treatment. Antibodies (Basel) 2025; 14:16. [PMID: 39982231 PMCID: PMC11843982 DOI: 10.3390/antib14010016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2025] [Revised: 02/06/2025] [Accepted: 02/10/2025] [Indexed: 02/22/2025] Open
Abstract
Immune cell engagers (ICEs) are an emerging class of immunotherapies designed to harness the immune system's anti-tumor potential through precise targeting and activation of immune effector cells. By engaging T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and phagocytes, ICEs overcome challenges such as immune evasion and MHC downregulation, addressing critical barriers in cancer treatment. T-cell engagers (TCEs), led by bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs), dominate the field, with innovations such as half-life-extended BiTEs, trispecific antibodies, and checkpoint inhibitory T-cell engagers driving their application in hematologic and solid malignancies. NK cell engagers (NKCEs) and phagocyte cell engagers (PCEs) are rapidly progressing, drawing on NK cells' innate cytotoxicity and macrophages' phagocytic abilities to target tumors, particularly in immunosuppressive microenvironments. Since the FDA approval of Blinatumomab in 2014, ICEs have transformed the oncology landscape, with nine FDA-approved products and numerous candidates in clinical trials. Despite challenges such as toxicity, resistance, and limited efficacy in solid tumors, ongoing research into advanced platforms and combination therapies highlights the growing potential of ICEs to provide personalized, scalable, and effective cancer treatments. This review investigates the mechanisms, platforms, research trends, and clinical progress of ICEs, emphasizing their pivotal role in advancing precision immunotherapy and their promise as a cornerstone of next-generation cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kyung Ho Han
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Hannam University, Daejeon 34054, Republic of Korea
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