Liquid metal microspheres with an eddy-thermal effect for magnetic hyperthermia-enhanced cancer embolization-immunotherapy

Nailin Yang; Xingwei Sun; Yangkai Zhou; Xiaoyuan Yang; Jiaxi You; Zepeng Yu; Jun Ge; Fei Gong; Zhisheng Xiao; Yong Jin; Zhuang Liu; Liang Cheng

doi:10.1016/j.scib.2023.07.025

Liquid metal microspheres with an eddy-thermal effect for magnetic hyperthermia-enhanced cancer embolization-immunotherapy

Sci Bull (Beijing). 2023 Aug 30;68(16):1772-1783. doi: 10.1016/j.scib.2023.07.025. Epub 2023 Jul 19.

Authors

Nailin Yang¹, Xingwei Sun², Yangkai Zhou¹, Xiaoyuan Yang¹, Jiaxi You³, Zepeng Yu⁴, Jun Ge⁵, Fei Gong¹, Zhisheng Xiao¹, Yong Jin⁶, Zhuang Liu⁷, Liang Cheng⁸

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
² Department of Intervention, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215004, China.
³ Nuclear Medicine Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215004, China.
⁴ Center for Medical Ultrasound, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou 215001, China.
⁵ Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.
⁶ Department of Intervention, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215004, China. Electronic address: jinyong@suda.edu.cn.
⁷ Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China. Electronic address: zliu@suda.edu.cn.
⁸ Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China. Electronic address: lcheng2@suda.edu.cn.

PMID: 37516662
DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2023.07.025

Abstract

Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) display poor prognosis because HCC involves a high rate of metastasis and regrowth. Herein, we present an effective strategy to treat HCC using magnetic hyperthermia therapy (MHT)-enhanced cancer immunotherapy combined with transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). Uniform liquid metal microspheres (LM MSs) obtained by microfluidic technology with powerful eddy-thermal effects could be used as both MHT and TAE agents for effective cancer therapy. The eddy-thermal effect of LM MSs demonstrated effective MHT, whereas LM MS-induced MHT boosted the immune system, promoted immune cell infiltration, and further stimulated powerful immune responses to suppress the growth of distant tumors, together with immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Furthermore, LM MS-lipiodol dispersion displayed excellent efficacy of the combined MHT-TAE in the orthotopic rabbit liver cancer model. Our work not only highlighted that LM MSs could act as effective MHT agents to achieve MHT-enhanced immunotherapy but also presented the significant promise of combining MHT with TAE for the efficient treatment of large orthotopic liver tumors.

Keywords: Eddy-thermal effect; Embolization treatment; Immunotherapy; Liquid metal; Magnetic hyperthermia therapy.

MeSH terms

Animals
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* / therapy
Embolization, Therapeutic*
Hyperthermia, Induced*
Immunotherapy
Liver Neoplasms* / therapy
Magnetic Phenomena
Metals
Microspheres
Rabbits

Substances

Metals