Immunotherapy has achieved revolutionary success in clinics, but it remains challenging for treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) characterized by high vascularization. Here, it is reported that metal-organic framework-801 (MOF-801) can be employed as a stimulator of interferon genes (STING) through Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) not just as a drug delivery carrier. Notably, cytosine-phosphate-guanine oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODNs) and 5, 6-dimethylxanthenone-4-acetic acid (DMXAA) STING agonist with vascular disrupting function coordinates with MOF-801 to self-assemble into a nanoparticle (MOF-CpG-DMXAA) that effectively delivers CpG ODNs and DMXAA to cells for synergistically improving the tumor microenvironment by reprogramming tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), promoting dendritic cells (DCs) maturation, as well as destroying tumor blood vessels. In HCC-bearing mouse models, it is demonstrated that MOF-CpG-DMXAA triggers systemic immune activation and stimulates robust tumoricidal immunity, resulting in a superior immunotherapeutic efficiency in orthotopic and recurrent HCC.
Keywords: DNA; drug delivery; immunotherapy; metal-organic frameworks; stimulator of interferon genes agonist.
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