Anti-phagocytosis-blocking repolarization-resistant membrane-fusogenic liposome (ARMFUL) for adoptive cell

Chunxiong Zheng1, Qingguo Zhong1, Ke Yi1

  • 1Laboratory of Biomaterials and Translational Medicine, Center for Nanomedicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China.

Science Advances
|August 9, 2023
PubMed

Insights

This study introduces a novel liposome (ARMFUL) for one-step cell engineering. ARMFUL enhances adoptive cell therapy by equipping effector cells with multiple tumor-fighting functions, improving antitumor efficacy.

Area of Science:

  • Biotechnology
  • Immunology
  • Nanomedicine

Background:

  • Solid tumors present complex immunological barriers that limit the efficacy of adoptive cell therapy.
  • Current cell engineering methods struggle to equip effector cells with multiple functionalities simultaneously due to target spatial distribution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a one-step cell engineering platform for constructing multifunctional effector cells.
  • To overcome limitations in current cell engineering technologies for enhanced adoptive cell therapy.

Main Methods:

  • A core-shell, membrane-fusogenic liposome (ARMFUL) was designed for one-step multiplexing cell engineering.
  • ARMFUL fuses with M1 macrophage membranes, delivering an anti-CD47 (aCD47) modified shell and a BLZ945-loaded core into the cytoplasm.
  • The aCD47 blocks CD47 to enhance phagocytosis, while BLZ945 inhibits M2 polarization in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.

Main Results:

  • ARMFUL successfully engineered multifunctional cells in a single step.
  • Surface aCD47 enhanced tumor phagocytosis by blocking CD47-mediated signaling.
  • Cytoplasmic BLZ945 conferred resistance to M2 polarization, maintaining effector cell function.

Conclusions:

  • ARMFUL serves as a versatile platform for engineering multifunctional cells for adoptive cell therapy.
  • This approach enhances antitumor efficacy by overcoming immunological barriers in solid tumors.
  • The technology offers a novel strategy for customizing cellular functions to improve therapeutic outcomes.

Related Concept Videos