Recently, the Ultra-precision Optical Manufacture Innovation Team led by Academician Zhuang Songlin and Professor Zhang Dawei made new findings in the cancer immunotherapy，and related research paper titled “Topological regulating bismuth nano-semiconductor for immunogenic cell death-mediated sonocatalytic hyperthermia therapy”was published in a top journal Small as the cover paper. Chen Guobo and Yang Zhijin from USST were the first authors. Dr. Li Yuhao and Dr. Zheng Lulu were both the corresponding authors.
Compared to traditional chemotherapy and radiation therapy, immunotherapy combats tumors through its own immune system, with lower toxicity and more effective therapeutic effects. Immunogenic cell death (ICD) can activate the body’s immune system via dead cell antigens to achieve immunotherapy. Currently, small molecule drugs have been used for ICD treatment in clinical, however, how to precisely control the induced ICD while treating tumors is of great significance for improving therapeutic efficacy.
The research by the team suggests that the BSM has a narrow band gap, the separation efficiency of electron–hole pairs was considerably augmented, allowing it to generate abundant •O 2−under ultrasonic irradiation. Additionally, sulfur doping endows BS with stronger 730 nm absorption, resulting in higher photothermal utilization. Moreover, both ultrasound and tumor microenvironment could promote the release of IVM. In vitro and in vivo, the nanoagonist systems demonstrated spectacular sonodynamic and photothermal performance and induced ICD and inhibited tumor growth via the synergistic effect of T-cell infiltration and cytokine release. Remarkably, such a treatment strategy based on sono/photo-activated bismuth-based nanoagonists can not only kill cancer cells in TME but also inhibit the continued proliferation of cancer cells by ICD-mediated synergistic immunotherapy, which is expected to be a clinically available cancer therapy modality.
Small is a top journal on Wiley Online Library. Small continues to be among the top multidisciplinary journals covering a broad spectrum of topics at the nano- and microscale at the interface of materials science, chemistry, physics, engineering, medicine, and biology.
Related: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smll.202304032; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smll.202370402
