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Zhang Y, He S, Xu C, Jiang Y, Miao Q, Pu K. An Activatable Polymeric Nanoprobe for Fluorescence and Photoacoustic Imaging of Tumor-Associated Neutrophils in Cancer Immunotherapy. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202203184. [PMID: 35385175 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202203184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Imaging to evaluate tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) is imperative for cancer immunotherapy but remains challenging. We herein report an activatable semiconducting polymer nanoprobe (SPCy) for near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) and photoacoustic (PA) imaging of neutrophil elastase (NE), a biomarker of TANs. SPCy comprises a semiconducting polymer conjugated with a hemicyanine (hemi-Cy) dye caged by a NE-cleavable peptide as the side chain. After systemic administration, SPCy passively targets the tumor and reacts with NE to "uncage" the hemi-Cy, leading to enhanced NIRF and PA signals of the hemi-Cy but unchanged signals of the SP. Such NE-activated ratiometric NIRF and enhanced PA signals of SPCy correlate with the intratumoral population of TANs. Thus, this study not only presents the first TAN-specific PA probe, but also provides a general molecular design strategy for PA imaging of other immune-related biomarkers to facilitate screening of cancer immunotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhang
- National Engineering Research Centre for Nanomedicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry and Materia Medical, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China
| | - Shasha He
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 70 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637457, Singapore
| | - Cheng Xu
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 70 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637457, Singapore
| | - Yue Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Qingqing Miao
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Kanyi Pu
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 70 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637457, Singapore.,School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637371, Singapore.,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 636921, Singapore
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Abstract
Introduction: Neutrophils or polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) account for a considerable portion of the tumor immune stroma. Emerging single-cell transcriptomic analyses have elucidated the striking cellular heterogeneity of PMNs during homeostasis and pathologic conditions and have established their diverse roles in cancer. PMNs have emerged as important players in cancer pathobiology and therapeutic resistance. Tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) effector functions influence tumor development and resistance or response to therapy.Areas covered: This review focuses on PMN heterogeneity and functional diversity in the context of carcinogenesis. TANs, by activating diverse signaling pathways, contribute to cancer progression and resistance to therapies. Mechanisms by which TANs impact therapeutic resistance include alterations of the tumoral DNA damage response, angiogenesis, reactivation of cancer dormancy, enhancement of tumor cell proliferation/survival and immune evasion.Expert opinion: With the emerging phenotypic and function heterogeneity of TANs, targeting specific TAN functions in developing tumors can lead to translatable therapeutic approaches and limit drug resistance. We propose that combining specific targeting of TAN activity with standard cancer therapy can help patients achieving a complete response and prevent cancer relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Triet M Bui
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Lenore K Yalom
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ronen Sumagin
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
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