Suppressing the Hypoxia‐Adenosinergic Axis by a Tailored Nanoreactor for Enhanced Photothermal Immunotherapy

Abstract

Cell metabolite adenosine can induce extensive and persistent immunosuppression by binding to adenosine receptors on immune cells. Seriously, the hypoxia‐driven adenosinergic axis aggravates adenosine accumulation via dephosphorizing immune‐activating adenosine triphosphate (ATP) released during immunogenic cell death (ICD). Different from direct adenosine clearance or adenosine receptor blockade or directly using ecto‐enzyme (CD39/CD73) antagonist, it is hoped to use an innovative small science engineering to regulate the upstream hypoxia/HIF‐1α signal of the hypoxia‐adenosinergic axis, thereby reducing the immunosuppressive extracellular adenosine and enhancing ICD‐triggered antitumor immunity. PM@Mn is constructed by gradually integrating metformin and MnO2 on polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticles. PM@Mn can effectively suppress hypoxia‐adenosinergic axis via combining catalytic oxygen production with reduced endogenous oxygen consumption. Such motif of hypoxia relief suppresses the metabolism of ATP to adenosine via down‐regulating the expression of HIF‐1α, CD39, and CD73. Meanwhile, PDA in PM@Mn can induce local tumor ablation and trigger the “vaccine effect” of ICD under near‐infrared radiation. In a mouse breast cancer model with low immunogenicity, our strategy can effectively reduce adenosine accumulation, PM@Mn group exhibits 4.51‐fold cytotoxic T lymphocyte infiltration and tumor inhibition rate of 75.4%. This study provides a new strategy to advance ICD‐triggered antitumor immunity through supressing hypoxia‐adenosinergic axis.

Keywords

• adenosinergic axis
• hypoxia relief
• immunogenic cell death
• immunosuppression
• photothermal immunotherapy