Surface-Engineered Monocyte Immunotherapy Combined Graphene Quantum Dots Effective Against Solid Tumor Targets

Abstract

Introduction

The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) of solid tumors inhibits most drug delivery system-based nanomaterials from achieving deep penetration in tumor tissue and interferes with T cell activity in terms of differentiation and exhaustion, which is becoming a critical therapy hurdle for solid tumors. Therefore, developing a therapeutic strategy with abilities of rapid establishment of tumor-targeted cells, elimination of immune obstacles, and enhanced active immunization is very important, while is still a big challenge.

Methods

A new strategy was explored to enhance immune therapy via the conjugation of microRNA155 (miR) to the surface of therapeutic monocyte with graphene quantum dots (GQDs).

Results

TME was reversed using surface-engineered monocyte immunotherapy via reprogramming pro-tumoral M2 TAMs into antitumor M1, and thus tumor elimination was dramatically enhanced.

Conclusion

Such a surface-engineered monocyte immunotherapy has been demonstrated to be well tolerated to intravenous administration and bio-compatible, showing the potential to be extended for the solid tumor treatment.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• solid tumor
• surface-engineered monocyte
• GQDs
• miR155
• immunotherapy

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Scientific Research Initiation Fund of Chongqing University of Technology (No. 2019ZD120).

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.