Fe3O4 nanoparticles occupy a pivotal position in the realm of nanobiology due to their nontoxic, biocompatible, and superparamagnetic properties. This study examines the influence of surface modifiers on the properties of magnetic nanoparticles. Poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA), poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid-co-maleic acid) sodium salt (PSSM), trisodium citrate (TSC), carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), and carboxymethylated-dextran 40 (CMD40) were introduced into a one-pot solvothermal method to synthesize magnetic nanoparticles. TEM, the 4-(bromomethyl)-6,7-dimethoxy coumarin (BMMC) absorption assay, and the Bradford method were employed to characterize the diameter, carboxyl content, and protein immobilization ability of the nanoparticles, respectively. The findings revealed that CMD40-modified magnetic nanoparticles (CMD40-MNPs) exhibited the highest carboxyl content and streptavidin (SA) immobilization content, reaching 6.5 × 10–7 mol/mg and 375 μg/mg, respectively. In contrast, CMC-modified magnetic nanoparticles displayed opposite trends. This is primarily attributed to dextran’s unique molecular structure, which enhances its water solubility and biocompatibility, thereby facilitating contact with Fe3O4 nanoparticles in aqueous solutions. CMD40-MNPs possess a saturation magnetization value of 60.90 emu/g and can be collected within (60 ± 5) s using a standard magnetic separator. Cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that CMD40-MNPs are nontoxic to cells. A cell sorting strategy utilizing the binding of SA-CMD40-MNPs and biotin antihuman CD3 antibody-modified cell suspensions was employed to isolate CD3+T cells. The results indicate that the purity and efficiency of targeted CD3+T cells are 85.2% and 61.5%, respectively.
The penetration ability of visible light (<2 mm) and near-infrared (NIR) light (∼1 cm) remarkably impairs the therapeutic efficacy and clinical applications of photodynamic therapy (PDT). To address the limitation of light penetration depth, a novel self-luminescent bacterium, teLuc.FP-EcN, has been engineered through transfection of a fusion expression plasmid containing the luciferase gene teLuc and bright red fluorescent protein mScarlet-I into Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN). The engineered teLuc.FP-EcN can specifically target and colonize tumors without significant toxicity to the host. Acting as a continuous internal light source, teLuc.FP-EcN can activate the photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6) to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and then effectively destroy tumor tissue from the inside. As a result, a significant reduction in tumor proliferation and extension of the overall survival in mouse tumor models has been observed. Furthermore, teLuc.FP-EcN-boosted PDT amplified its therapeutic effect by activating antitumor immune response, including the conversion of M2 macrophages into pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages, as well as an increase in the proportion of CD3+ T cells and a decrease in T-cell exhaustion. In conclusion, teLuc.FP-EcN can be used as an implantable light source for tumor phototherapy, which simultaneously possesses ROS generation and immune regulation.
Programmed cell death receptor ligand 1 (PD-L1)/PD-1 signaling has been exploited to design inhibitors that deliver promising clinical outcome albeit with limited efficacy. Herein, we prepare graphene oxide (GO)-PEI-PEG with low cytotoxicity and long stability and GO-PEI-PEG delivers PD-L1 siRNAs to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells by the endocytosis-lysosome pathway. The functional GO-PEI-PEG/PD-L1 siRNAs decrease PD-L1 and PD-1 abundance, increase pro-inflammation cytokine IFN-γ and TNF-α release, and improve the proliferation activity of Jurkat T cells. Since GO-PEI-PEG targets the mouse liver effectively, the intrahepatic tumors in C57BL/6 mice are treated with GO-PEI-PEG/Pd-l1 siRNAs via the tail vein, resulting in shrinkage of the HCC tumors and boosting the anti-tumor efficacy in combination with oral sorafenib. A single treatment improves the total CD3 + and cytotoxic CD8 + T cell infiltration in the HCC tumor tissues and even spleen and upregulates the expression of Perforin, Gzmb, Ifng, Il-1b and Tnfa in the tumors after the combined treatment. Both the single and combined treatments enhance reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and improved HCC ferroptosis. The results suggest that GO-PEI-PEG delivered PD-L1 siRNAs combined with oral sorafenib can activate the adaptive immunity and tumor ferroptosis and reveal an effective therapy to treat advanced HCC patients.