Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Validation of Nanobody and Antibody Based In Vivo Tumor Xenograft NIRF-imaging Experiments in Mice Using Ex Vivo Flow Cytometry and Microscopy
Published on: April 6, 2015
Bacteria-Derived Nanobody-Decorated Nanoplatform Restores T Cell Immunity Post-Radiotherapy
Jinzhou Cai1, Xiangming Han1, Yu Zhang1
1Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection & School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Cancer Institute, Suzhou Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China.
Abstract:
T cell exhaustion within the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) impairs the efficacy of radioimmunotherapy. Here, we demonstrate that X-ray radiotherapy induces arginine metabolic dysregulation and PD-L1 upregulation in the tumor microenvironment (TME), suppressing T cell metabolism and driving the expansion of PD-1+TIM-3+ exhausted T cells, thereby promoting immunosuppression. To address this, we design a biomimetic hybrid immunomodulator (arg/Bnb-L) by engineering BL-21 bacterial membranes to display PD-L1 nanobodies and fusing them with l-arginine-loaded liposomes. This nanoplatform simultaneously blocks PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint signaling and restores T cell metabolic activity while promoting dendritic cell maturation. In murine tumor models, arg/Bnb-L combined with radiotherapy significantly enhances CD8+ T cell infiltration, reduces exhausted T cell populations, maintains cytotoxic T lymphocyte function, and inhibits tumor progression and metastasis. Our study elucidates a dual mechanism underlying radiotherapy-induced immunosuppression and offers a promising strategy to enhance radioimmunotherapy outcomes through targeted metabolic and immunologic reprogramming.

