EISA in Tandem with ICD to Form In Situ Nanofiber Vaccine for Enhanced Tumor Radioimmunotherapy

Abstract

Radiotherapy (RT) can produce a vaccine effect and remodel a tumor microenvironment (TME) by inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD) and inflammation in tumors. However, RT alone is insufficient to elicit a systemic antitumor immune response owing to limited antigen presentation, immunosuppressive microenvironment, and chronic inflammation within the tumor. Here, a novel strategy is reported for the generation of in situ peptide-based nanovaccines via enzyme-induced self-assembly (EISA) in tandem with ICD. As ICD progresses, the peptide Fbp-G^D F^D F^D pY (Fbp-pY), dephosphorylated by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) forms a fibrous nanostructure around the tumor cells, resulting in the capture and encapsulation of the autologous antigens produced by radiation. Utilizing the adjuvant and controlled-release advantages of self-assembling peptides, this nanofiber vaccine effectively increases antigen accumulation in the lymph nodes and cross-presentation by antigen-presenting cells (APCs). In addition, the inhibition of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) expression by the nanofibers promotes the repolarization of M2-macrophages into M1 and reduces the number of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) required for TME remodeling. As a result, the combination of nanovaccines and RT significantly enhances the therapeutic effect on 4T1 tumors compared with RT alone, suggesting a promising treatment strategy for tumor radioimmunotherapy.