Harnessing Dual Phototherapy and Immune Activation for Cancer Treatment: The Development and Application of BODIPY@F127 Nanoparticles

Yang Peng, Chenyan Hu, Ludan Zhang, Fan Dong, Ruwan Li, Huihui Liang, Hao Dai, Won Jun Jang, Hong Bo Cheng, Liming Zhou, Yuguang Wang, Juyoung Yoon

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Conventional phototherapeutic agents are typically used in either photodynamic therapy (PDT) or photothermal therapy (PTT). However, efficacy is often hindered by hypoxia and elevated levels of heat shock proteins in the tumor microenvironment (TME). To address these limitations, a formylated, near-infrared (NIR)-absorbing and heavy-atom-free Aza-BODIPY dye is presented that exhibits both type-I and type-II PDT actions with a high yield of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and manifests efficient photothermal conversion by precise adjustments to the conjugate structure and electron distribution, leading to a large amount of ROS production even under severe hypoxia. To improve biosafety and water solubility, the dye with an amphiphilic triblock copolymer (Pluronic F-127), yielding BDP-6@F127 nanoparticles (NPs) is coated. Furthermore, inspired by the fact that phototherapy triggers the release of tumor-associated antigens, a strategy that leverages potential immune activation by combining PDT/PTT with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy to amplify the systemic immune response and achieve the much-desired abscopal effect is developed. In conclusion, this study presents a promising molecular design strategy that integrates multimodal therapeutics for a precise and effective approach to cancer therapy.

Original languageEnglish
Article number2401981
JournalAdvanced Healthcare Materials
Volume13
Issue number28
DOIs
StatePublished - 11 Nov 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Healthcare Materials published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.

Keywords

  • Aza-BODIPY
  • cancer theranostics
  • heavy-atom-free
  • PDT/PTT combination
  • photo-immunotherapy

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