A general strategy towards personalized nanovaccines based on fluoropolymers for post-surgical cancer immunotherapy

Nat Nanotechnol. 2020 Dec;15(12):1043-1052. doi: 10.1038/s41565-020-00781-4. Epub 2020 Nov 2.

Abstract

Cancer metastases and recurrence after surgical resection remain an important cause of treatment failure. Here we demonstrate a general strategy to fabricate personalized nanovaccines based on a cationic fluoropolymer for post-surgical cancer immunotherapy. Nanoparticles formed by mixing the fluoropolymer with a model antigen ovalbumin, induce dendritic cell maturation via the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-mediated signalling pathway, and promote antigen transportation into the cytosol of dendritic cells, which leads to an effective antigen cross-presentation. Such a nanovaccine inhibits established ovalbumin-expressing B16-OVA melanoma. More importantly, a mix of the fluoropolymer with cell membranes from resected autologous primary tumours synergizes with checkpoint blockade therapy to inhibit post-surgical tumour recurrence and metastases in two subcutaneous tumour models and an orthotopic breast cancer tumour. Furthermore, in the orthotopic tumour model, we observed a strong immune memory against tumour rechallenge. Our work offers a simple and general strategy for the preparation of personalized cancer vaccines to prevent post-operative cancer recurrence and metastasis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cancer Vaccines / chemistry
  • Cancer Vaccines / therapeutic use*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Female
  • Fluorocarbon Polymers / chemistry
  • Fluorocarbon Polymers / therapeutic use*
  • Immunotherapy
  • Melanoma, Experimental / immunology
  • Melanoma, Experimental / prevention & control*
  • Melanoma, Experimental / surgery
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Nanoparticles / therapeutic use*
  • Ovalbumin / chemistry
  • Ovalbumin / therapeutic use
  • Polyethyleneimine / chemistry
  • Polyethyleneimine / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Cancer Vaccines
  • Fluorocarbon Polymers
  • Polyethyleneimine
  • Ovalbumin