pH-gated nanoparticles selectively regulate lysosomal function of tumour-associated macrophages for cancer immunotherapy

Abstract Tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs), as one of the most abundant tumour-infiltrating immune cells, play a pivotal role in tumour antigen clearance and immune suppression. M2-like TAMs present a heightened lysosomal acidity and protease activity, limiting an effective antigen cross-presenta...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mingmei Tang, Binlong Chen, Heming Xia, Meijie Pan, Ruiyang Zhao, Jiayi Zhou, Qingqing Yin, Fangjie Wan, Yue Yan, Chuanxun Fu, Lijun Zhong, Qiang Zhang, Yiguang Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2023-09-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41592-0
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Summary:Abstract Tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs), as one of the most abundant tumour-infiltrating immune cells, play a pivotal role in tumour antigen clearance and immune suppression. M2-like TAMs present a heightened lysosomal acidity and protease activity, limiting an effective antigen cross-presentation. How to selectively reprogram M2-like TAMs to reinvigorate anti-tumour immune responses is challenging. Here, we report a pH-gated nanoadjuvant (PGN) that selectively targets the lysosomes of M2-like TAMs in tumours rather than the corresponding organelles from macrophages in healthy tissues. Enabled by the PGN nanotechnology, M2-like TAMs are specifically switched to a M1-like phenotype with attenuated lysosomal acidity and cathepsin activity for improved antigen cross-presentation, thus eliciting adaptive immune response and sustained tumour regression in tumour-bearing female mice. Our findings provide insights into how to specifically regulate lysosomal function of TAMs for efficient cancer immunotherapy.
ISSN:2041-1723