Light-Driven Self-Recruitment of Biomimetic Semiconducting Polymer Nanoparticles for Precise Tumor Vascular Disruption

Tumor vascular disrupting therapy has offered promising opportunities to treat cancer in clinical practice, whereas the overall therapeutic efficacy is notably limited due to the off-target effects and repeated dose toxicity of vascular disrupting agents (VDAs). To tackle this problem, a VDA-free biomimetic semiconducting polymer nanoparticle (SPNP) is herein reported for precise tumor vascular disruption through two-stage light manipulation. SPNP consists of a semiconducting polymer nanoparticle as the photothermal agent camouflaged with platelet membranes that specifically target disrupted vasculature. Upon the first photoirradiation, SPNP administered in vivo generates mild hyperthermia to trigger tumor vascular hemorrhage, which activates the coagulation cascade and recruits more SPNP to injured blood vessels. Such enhanced tumor vascular targeting of photothermal agents enables intense hyperthermia to destroy the tumor vasculature during the second photoirradiation, leading to complete tumor eradication and efficient metastasis inhibition. Intriguingly, the mechanism study reveals that this vascular disruption strategy alleviates splenomegaly and reverses the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment by reducing myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Therefore, this study not only illustrates a light-driven self-recruitment strategy to enhance tumor vascular disruption via a single dose of biomimetic therapeutics but also deciphers the immunotherapeutic role of vascular disruption therapy that is conducive to clinical studies.

Automated summary

This study reports a biomimetic semiconducting polymer nanoparticle (SPNP) that does not require vascular disrupting agents (VDAs), but can precisely disrupt tumor vasculature through two-stage light manipulation. The study not only proposes a light-driven self-recruitment strategy to enhance tumor vascular disruption, but also reveals the immunotherapeutic role of vascular disruption therapy in reversing the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.