Nanoscale Metal-Organic Framework Overcomes Hypoxia for Photodynamic Therapy Primed Cancer Immunotherapy

J Am Chem Soc. 2018 May 2;140(17):5670-5673. doi: 10.1021/jacs.8b01072. Epub 2018 Apr 23.

Abstract

Immunotherapy has become a promising cancer therapy, but only works for a subset of cancer patients. Immunogenic photodynamic therapy (PDT) can prime cancer immunotherapy to increase the response rates, but its efficacy is severely limited by tumor hypoxia. Here we report a nanoscale metal-organic framework, Fe-TBP, as a novel nanophotosensitizer to overcome tumor hypoxia and sensitize effective PDT, priming non-inflamed tumors for cancer immunotherapy. Fe-TBP was built from iron-oxo clusters and porphyrin ligands and sensitized PDT under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Fe-TBP mediated PDT significantly improved the efficacy of anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (α-PD-L1) treatment and elicited abscopal effects in a mouse model of colorectal cancer, resulting in >90% regression of tumors. Mechanistic studies revealed that Fe-TBP mediated PDT induced significant tumor infiltration of cytotoxic T cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Hypoxia / drug therapy*
  • Hypoxia / metabolism
  • Immunotherapy*
  • Metal-Organic Frameworks / chemistry
  • Metal-Organic Frameworks / therapeutic use*
  • Mice
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Photochemotherapy*
  • Photosensitizing Agents / chemistry
  • Photosensitizing Agents / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Metal-Organic Frameworks
  • Photosensitizing Agents