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T cell-mediated targeted delivery of tadalafil regulates immunosuppression and polyamine metabolism to overcome immune checkpoint blockade resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma

Xiaobin Wang, Qiaoyun Zhang, Jing-Wen Zhou, Zecong Xiao, Jianxin Liu, Shao-Hui Deng, X. Hong, Wensou Huang et al.

Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, 2023

27 citations

Abstract

Background Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) monotherapy provides poor survival benefit in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) due to ICB resistance caused by immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and drug discontinuation resulting from immune-related side effects. Thus, novel strategies that can simultaneously reshape immunosuppressive TME and ameliorate side effects are urgently needed. Methods Both in vitro and orthotopic HCC models were used to explore and demonstrate the new role of a conventional, clinically used drug, tadalafil (TA), in conquering immunosuppressive TME. In detail, the effect of TA on M2 polarization and polyamine metabolism in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) was identified. After making clear the aforementioned immune regulatory effect of TA, we introduced a nanomedicine-based strategy of tumor-targeted drug delivery to make better use of TA to reverse immunosuppressive TME and overcome ICB resistance for HCC immunotherapy. A dual pH-sensitive nanodrug simultaneously carrying both TA and programmed cell death receptor 1 antibody (aPD-1) was developed, and its ability for tumor-targeted drug delivery and TME-responsive drug release was evaluated in an orthotopic HCC model. Finally, the immune regulatory effect, antitumor therapeutic effect, as well as side effects of our nanodrug combining both TA and aPD-1 were analyzed. Results TA exerted a new role in conquering immunosuppressive TME by inhibiting…

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