Theranostic near-infrared-IIb emitting nanoprobes for promoting immunogenic radiotherapy and abscopal effects against cancer metastasis

Hypoxia and immunosuppression contribute to tumor resistance to radiotherapy (RT). Here the authors design a nanoprobe based on NIR-IIb emitting quantum dots for image-guided RT and modified with catalase to relieve hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment, enhancing the precision and efficacy of RT and promoting anti-tumor immune responses. Radiotherapy is an important therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment through direct damage to cancer cells and augmentation of antitumor immune responses. However, the efficacy of radiotherapy is limited by hypoxia-mediated radioresistance and immunosuppression in tumor microenvironment. Here, we construct a stabilized theranostic nanoprobe based on quantum dots emitting in the near-infrared IIb (NIR-IIb, 1,500-1,700 nm) window modified by catalase, arginine-glycine-aspartate peptides and poly(ethylene glycol). We demonstrate that the nanoprobes effectively aggregate in the tumor site to locate the tumor region, thereby realizing precision radiotherapy with few side-effects. In addition, nanoprobes relieve intratumoral hypoxia and reduce the tumor infiltration of immunosuppressive cells. Moreover, the nanoprobes promote the immunogenic cell death of cancer cells to trigger the activation of dendritic cells and enhance T cell-mediated antitumor immunity to inhibit tumor metastasis. Collectively, the nanoprobe-mediated immunogenic radiotherapy can boost the abscopal effect to inhibit tumor metastasis and prolong survival.

Automated summary

A nanoprobe based on NIR-IIb emitting quantum dots was designed to alleviate hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment, enhancing precision and efficacy of radiotherapy, and promoting anti-tumor immune responses.