Recently, Prof. WU Zhengyan from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Prof. ZHANG Guilong from Binzhou Medical University, has developed an innovative nano-immune agonist that significantly improves immunotherapy outcomes for melanoma—a highly aggressive and hard-to-treat form of skin cancer.
The study, recently accepted by the Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, introduces a biodegradable therapeutic nanomaterial called pLCGM-OVA.
Melanoma remains a clinical challenge largely due to its strong immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, which weakens the effectiveness of conventional immune checkpoint inhibitors. To overcome this hurdle, the researchers designed a multifunctional nanoplatform capable of reshaping the tumor microenvironment and enhancing the body' s natural immune defense against cancer.
To address this issue, the team designed and synthesized a safe and efficient nano-immune agonist. It works through a combination of mechanisms: it induces immunogenic cell death via reactive oxygen species and copper-triggered cuproptosis—a newly recognized form of regulated cell death.
Additionally, it incorporates ovalbumin (OVA) as a model antigen to boost vaccine-like immune responses, and importantly, it activates the cGAS-STING signaling pathway, a key player in innate immune activation. Together, these effects stimulate a strong anti-tumor immune response, effectively suppressing both melanoma growth and recurrence.
Beyond its therapeutic capabilities, pLCGM-OVA also serves as a T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent, enabling simultaneous diagnosis and treatment—a promising step toward advanced cancer theranostics.
This research marks a significant advancement in nanomedicine and cancer immunotherapy, offering new hope for more effective melanoma treatments.
Schematic illustration of the preparation route and anti-tumor mechanism of pLCGM-OVA (Image by LI Qingdong)