A nano-innate immune system activator for cancer therapy in a 4T1 tumor-bearing mouse model

Abstract Background Harnessing the immune system to fight cancer has led to prominent clinical successes. Strategies to stimulate innate immune effectors are attracting considerable interest in cancer therapy. Here, through conjugating multivalent Fc fragments onto the surface of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN), we developed a nanoparticle-based innate immune system activator (NISA) for breast cancer immunotherapy. Methods NISA was prepared through conjugating mouse IgG3 Fc to MSN surface. Then, long-chain PEG5000, which was used to shield Fc to confer nanoparticle colloidal stability, was linked to the MSN surface via matrix metalloprotease-2 (MMP-2)-cleavable peptide (GPLGIAGQC). The activation of multiple components of innate immune system, including complement and the innate cells (macrophages and dendritic cells) and the associated anticancer effect were investigated. Results Fc fragments of NISA can be exposed through hydrolysis of long-chain PEG5000 by highly expressed MMP-2 in tumor microenvironment. Then, effective stimulation and activation of multiple components of innate immune system, including complement, macrophages, and dendritic cells were obtained, leading to efficient antitumor effect in 4T1 breast cancer cells and orthotopic breast tumor model in mice. Conclusions The antitumor potency conferred by NISA highlights the significance of stimulating multiple innate immune elements in cancer immunotherapy. Graphical Abstract