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Radiotherapy-ignited dual-stage prodrug nanoplatform for cascade activation of toll-like receptor 7/8 agonist and reignition of antitumor immunity.

Created on 25 Sep 2026

Authors

Zhongshi Qiao, Danping Liu, Rui Huang, Yingxin Chen, Hui Li, Meiyun Hao, Xinke Zhang, Xiaoqing Li, Zhiyue Zhang, Xuezhen Ma

Published in

Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society. Pages 115409. Sep 24, 2026. Epub Sep 24, 2026.

Abstract

A major bottleneck in radio-immunotherapy is the inability to precisely couple the localized stimulus of radiotherapy (RT) with the systemic action of immunotherapeutics. To bridge this gap, we developed a chemically engineered RT-ignited nanoplatform that productively harnesses the biochemical consequences of RT to precisely activate immunotherapy locally, thereby amplifying its benefits while minimizing systemic exposure. The platform co-delivers a hydrogen sulfide (H₂S)-responsive prodrug of toll-like Toll-like receptor 7/8 (TLR7/8) agonist imiquimod (IMQ) using a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-sensitive, targeted nanocarrier. RT ignites a biochemical sequence: ROS bursts disassemble the carrier, and the subsequent H₂S upregulation cleaves the prodrug, ensuring tumor-localized drug release. This RT-primed, sequentially activated therapy profoundly enhances antitumor immunity by inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD), activating antigen-presenting cells (APCs), and overcoming systemic immunosuppression, culminating in durable tumor regression and immunological memory. This study highlights a chemistry-driven approach to spatially and temporally confine immune activation to the tumor site, effectively broadening the therapeutic window and transforming RT-induced biochemical changes into a precise trigger for systemic immunity.

PMID:
42785690
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 25 Sep 2026.

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