Tumor-Targeted Chemoimmunotherapy with Immune-Checkpoint Blockade for Enhanced Anti-Melanoma Efficacy

Chemoimmunotherapy with chemotherapeutics and immunoadjuvant inhibits tumor growth by activating cytotoxic T cells. However, this process also upregulates the expression of PD-1/PD-L1 and consequently leads to immune suppression. To maximize the anti-tumor immune responses and alleviate immunosuppression, PD-L1 antibody was combined with paclitaxel (PTX) and the immunoadjuvant α-galactosylceramide (αGC), which were coencapsulated into pH-sensitive TH peptide-modified liposomes (PTX/αGC/TH-Lip) to treat melanoma and lung metastasis. Compared to treatment with PD-L1 antibody or PTX/αGC/TH-Lip alone, the combination of PD-L1 antibody and PTX/αGC/TH-Lip further elevated the tumor-specific cytotoxic T cell responses and promoted apoptosis in tumor cells, leading to enhanced anti-tumor and anti-metastatic effects. In adoptive therapy, PD-L1 antibody further alleviated immunosuppression and enhanced the anti-tumor effect of CD8⁺ T cells. The combination of PD-L1 antibody and chemoimmunotherapy PTX/αGC/TH-Lip provides a promising strategy for enhancing treatment for melanoma and lung metastasis.