Immunotherapy has significantly advanced cancer treatment, but the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) often remains immunosuppressive, limiting therapeutic efficacy. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), particularly M2-like macrophages, play a crucial role in promoting tumor growth and immune evasion. Our study introduces a novel approach using dual-targeted ZrMOF/C@P nanoparticles, smartly engineered with cell membrane coating and enzyme responsiveness, to effectively modulate TAMs. These nanoparticles are synthesized and loaded with 2’, 3’-cGAMP, a STING agonist, and encapsulated in a peptide-expressed macrophage membrane (PMM) featuring Pep20, MMP2, and M2pep. In vitro , they activate the STING pathway in M2-like macrophages and reprogram them into M1-like macrophages. Smart ZrMOF/C@P is found to accumulate at the tumor even 72 hours post-injection. In CT26 and 4T1 tumor models show that smart ZrMOF/C@P not only suppresses tumor growth but also stimulates systemic immune responses. This is evidenced by a reduction in M2-like and an increase in M1-like macrophages, enhanced dendritic cell (DC) maturation, and increased tumor infiltration of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells, accompanied by elevated IFN-γ secretion. This innovative use of ZrMOF/C@P offers a promising strategy to transform the immunosuppressive TIME, presenting a versatile and effective treatment option for solid tumors, and novel avenue for non-CDN-STING agonists, facilitating systemic administration.
Infiltrative glioma growth makes surgical excision incomplete, and the residual tumor cells proliferate rapidly. Residual glioma cells evade phagocytosis by macrophages through upregulating anti-phagocytosis molecule CD47, which binds to the signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRPα) of macrophages. Specifically, blocking the CD47-SIRPα pathway is a potential strategy for post-resection glioma treatment. In addition, the anti-CD47 antibody (α-CD47) in combination with temozolomide (TMZ) caused an enhanced pro-phagocytic effect due to the TMZ not only destroying DNA but also inducing endoplasmic reticulum stress response of glioma cells. However, the obstruction of the blood-brain barrier makes systemic combination therapy not ideal for post-resection glioma treatment. Herein, we designed a temperature-sensitive hydrogel system based on a moldable thermosensitive hydroxypropyl chitin (HPCH) copolymer to encapsulate both α-CD47 and TMZ as α-CD47& [email protected] for in situ postoperative cavity administration. Through the in vitro and in vivo evaluations, α-CD47& [email protected] significantly inhibited glioma recurrence post-resection through enhancement of pro-phagocytosis of macrophages, recruitment, and activation of CD8 + T cells and NK cells.