Combining p53 mRNA nanotherapy with immune checkpoint blockade reprograms the immune microenvironment for effective cancer therapy
Abstract
Immunotherapy with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has shown limited benefits in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and other cancers, mediated in part by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). As p53 loss of function may play a role in immunosuppression, we herein examine the effects of restoring p53 expression on the immune TME and ICB efficacy. We develop and optimize a CXCR4-targeted mRNA nanoparticle platform to effectively induce p53 expression in HCC models. Using p53-null orthotopic and ectopic models of murine HCC, we find that combining CXCR4-targeted p53 mRNA nanoparticles with anti-PD-1 therapy effectively induces global reprogramming of cellular and molecular components of the immune TME. This effect results in improved anti-tumor effects compared to anti-PD-1 therapy or therapeutic p53 expression alone. Thus, our findings demonstrate the reversal of immunosuppression in HCC by a p53 mRNA nanomedicine when combined with ICB and support the implementation of this strategy for cancer treatment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Feb 09, 2022
- Source ID
- 10.1038/s41467-022-28279-8
Entities
People
- Aya Matsui
- Dan G Duda
- Dean Shuailin Chen
- Hui Zhou
- Jiang Chen
- Jinjun Shi
- Lingling Zhu
- Xiangfei Han
- Xiaodong Zeng
- Xingya Jiang
- Yuling Xiao
- Zhangya Pu
- Zhiping Ruan
- Zohreh Amoozgar
Organizations
- United States Department of Defense