Multi-Stage Energy Conversion in Covalent Organic Frameworks for Electrogenesis Boosted Immunotherapy

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Cancer Immunotherapy

Background:

• Current electrical tumor therapy faces challenges with external electrodes and biocompatibility.
• Developing non-invasive, biocompatible energy-conversion platforms is crucial for clinical translation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer a covalent organic framework (COF)-based platform for non-invasive photo-triggered electrocatalysis augmented immunotherapy.
• To investigate the anti-tumor effectiveness and immune response stimulation of the platform in vivo.

Main Methods:

• Construction of Py-ttTII@PEG nanoparticles using a donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) building block.
• Utilizing NIR-II laser irradiation to trigger heat generation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production via electrocatalysis.
• In vivo studies and RNA sequencing analysis to evaluate anti-tumor efficacy and immune response.

Main Results:

• Py-ttTII@PEG nanoparticles effectively ablated tumors and induced immunogenic cell death under NIR-II laser irradiation.
• The platform demonstrated potent anti-tumor effectiveness, suppressing distant tumor progression and lung metastasis.
• RNA sequencing confirmed activation of immune-related pathways and enrichment of regulatory genes.

Conclusions:

• The COF-based energy-conversion platform offers a feasible strategy for non-invasive tumor therapy.
• This approach enhances immunotherapy efficacy by coupling energy conversion with in vivo pyroelectricity generation.
• The study provides a promising avenue for improving cancer treatment, particularly against metastasis.