Using the cytomembranes (FMs) of hybrid cells acquired from the fusion of cancer and dendritic cells (DCs), this study offers a biologically derived platform for the combination of immunotherapy and traditional oncotherapy approaches. Due to the immunoactivation implicated in the cellular fusion, FMs can effectively express whole cancer antigens and immunological co-stimulatory molecules for robust immunotherapy. FMs share the tumor's self-targeting character with the parent cancer cells. In bilateral tumor-bearing mouse models, the FM-coated nanophotosensitizer causes durable immunoresponse to inhibit the rebound of primary tumors post-nanophotosensitizer-induced photodynamic therapy (PDT). The FM-induced immunotherapy displays ultrahigh antitumor effects even comparable to that of PDT. On the other hand, PDT toward primary tumors enhances the immunotherapy-caused regression of the irradiation-free distant tumors. Consequently, both the primary and the distant tumors are almost completely eliminated. This tumor-specific immunotherapy-based nanoplatform is potentially expandable to multiple tumor types and readily equipped with diverse functions owing to the flexible nanoparticle options.
Keywords: fused cells; homotypic targeting; hybrid cytomembrane; immunotheraputic platform; photodynamic therapy.
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