A ROS/photo dual-responsive prodrug unimolecular micelle for boosted cancer immunotherapy

Exploring dendrimer-based drug delivery systems and their potential applications in cancer immunotherapy

A prodrug hydrogel with tumor microenvironment and near-infrared light dual-responsive action for synergistic cancer immunotherapy

Nanoparticle-based tumor immunotherapy has emerged to show great potential for simultaneously regulating the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, reducing the unpleasant side effects, and activating tumor immunity. Herein, an excipient-free glutathione/pH dual-responsive prodrug nanoplatform is reported for immunotherapy, simply by sequentially liberating 5-aminolevulinic acid and immunogenically inducing doxorubicin drug molecules, which can leverage the acidity and reverse tumor microenvironment. The obtained nanoplatform effectively boosts the immune system by promoting dendritic cell maturation and reducing the number of immune suppressive immune cells, which shows the enhanced adjunctive effect of anti-programmed cell death protein 1 therapy. Overall, the prodrug-based immunotherapy nanoplatform may offer a reliable strategy for improving synergistic antitumor efficacy.