Polyphenol-based Nanomedicine Evokes Immune Activation for Combination Cancer Treatment.

Engineering multifunctional nanoplatform with high therapeutic benefits has become a promising strategy for intractable cancer treatment. Here, a novel polyphenol-based nanocomplex is thus designed to evoke highly efficacious cancer immunosurveillance while localizing therapy on primary tumor and to minimize systemic side effects. This nanocomplex is prepared via a metal-polyphenol coordination process by encapsulating a natural polyphenol gossypol and a newly synthesized polyethylene glycol-Chlorin e6 (Ce6) polyphenol derivative. The combination of gossypol from cotton plant and photosensitizer Ce6 can induce chemotherapeutic/photodynamic immunogenic cancer cell death upon laser irradiation, which is supported by rich maturation of dendritic cells, concentrated secretion of inflammatory cytokines and significant inhibition of distant untreated tumors. Finally, an assistance of the programmed cell death ligand-1 checkpoint blockade immunotherapy can enhance the anti-tumor immune stimulation of our nanoplatform to a higher level.