Citation: Kaiyue Yang, Yifan Zhang, Shamei Luo, Chenxi Yu, Lin Chen, Qingyu Yu, Chenlu Huang, Guilei Ma, Linhua Zhang, Dunwan Zhu. Multifunctional nanoadjuvants-aided synergistic photothermal-immunotherapy of tumor[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(4): 112324. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.112324 shu

Multifunctional nanoadjuvants-aided synergistic photothermal-immunotherapy of tumor

State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300192, China

zhanglinhua@bme.pumc.edu.cn

zhudunwan@bme.pumc.edu.cn

Received Date: 10 November 2025
Revised Date: 23 December 2025
Accepted Date: 24 December 2025
Available Online: 25 December 2025

Figures(5)

Cancer persists as a major global health challenge, marked by high recurrence rates in aggressive malignancies such as melanoma. While immunotherapy has emerged as a promising approach, its clinical benefits are often limited by tumor immune escape mechanisms and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). These hurdles have driven the exploration of integrated approaches, with photothermal-immunotherapy gaining significant traction. In this study, we developed a multifunctional nanoadjuvant (MICN@PI) engineered with an acid-responsive calcium carbonate core, a hypoxia-alleviating MnO₂ component, a polydopamine shell for photothermal ablation, and co-loaded immunomodulators (imiquimod and indoximod). The MnO₂ in the nanoadjuvant catalytically converted the overexpressed H₂O₂ in the TME into O₂. Concurrently, the combined action of imiquimod and indoximod orchestrated a potent adaptive immune response. Upon near-infrared laser irradiation, MICN@PI achieved significant tumor ablation, inhibited recurrence, and prolonged survival in a murine melanoma model, offering a safe and effective synergistic photothermal-immunotherapy strategy for cancer treatment.
- Photothermal therapy,
- Immunotherapy,
- Tumor microenvironment,
- Melanoma,
- Nanoadjuvant
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