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  2. Nanoparticle-mediated blockade of CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling enhances glioblastoma immunotherapy: Monitoring early responses with MRI radiomics

Nanoparticle-mediated blockade of CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling enhances glioblastoma immunotherapy: Monitoring early responses with MRI radiomics

  • Acta Biomater. 2024 Feb 13:S1742-7061(24)00067-9. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2024.02.007.
Ruili Wei 1 Jiamin Li 2 Wanxian Lin 3 Xinrui Pang 4 Huikang Yang 5 Shengsheng Lai 6 Xinhua Wei 7 Xinqing Jiang 8 Youyong Yuan 9 Ruimeng Yang 10
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, PR China. Electronic address: mcruiliwei@mail.scut.edu.cn.
  • 2 School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, PR China. Electronic address: mc1719452379@mail.scut.edu.cn.
  • 3 School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, PR China. Electronic address: 202220157577@mail.scut.edu.cn.
  • 4 School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, PR China. Electronic address: archer_8558@163.com.
  • 5 School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, PR China. Electronic address: eyyanghk@scut.edu.cn.
  • 6 School of Medical Equipment, Guangdong Food and Drug Vocational College, Guangzhou 510520, PR China. Electronic address: laiss@gdyzy.edu.cn.
  • 7 School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, PR China. Electronic address: eyxinhuawei@scut.edu.cn.
  • 8 School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, PR China. Electronic address: eyjiangxq@scut.edu.cn.
  • 9 School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou International Campus, Guangzhou 511442, PR China. Electronic address: yuanyy@scut.edu.cn.
  • 10 School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, PR China. Electronic address: eyruimengyang@scut.edu.cn.
Abstract

The limited therapeutic efficacy of checkpoint blockade immunotherapy against glioblastoma is closely related to the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment, where the latter is driven primarily by tumor-associated myeloid cells (TAMCs). Targeting the C-X-C motif chemokine ligand-12/C-X-C motif chemokine receptor-4 (CXCL12/CXCR4) signaling orchestrates the recruitment of TAMCs and has emerged as a promising approach for alleviating immunosuppression. Herein, we developed an iRGD ligand-modified polymeric nanoplatform for the co-delivery of CXCR4 Antagonist AMD3100 and the small-molecule immune checkpoint inhibitor BMS-1. The iRGD peptide facilitated superior BBB crossing and tumor-targeting abilities both in vitro and in vivo. In mice bearing orthotopic GL261-Luc tumor, co-administration of AMD3100 and BMS-1 significantly inhibited tumor proliferation without adverse effects. A reprogramming of immunosuppression upon CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling blockade was observed, characterized by the reduction of TAMCs and regulatory T cells, and an increased proportion of CD8+ T lymphocytes. The elevation of interferon-γ secreted from activated immune cells upregulated PD-L1 expression in tumor cells, highlighting the synergistic effect of BMS-1 in counteracting the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. Finally, our research unveiled the ability of MRI radiomics to reveal early changes in the tumor immune microenvironment following immunotherapy, offering a powerful tool for monitoring treatment responses. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The insufficient BBB penetration and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment greatly diminish the efficacy of immunotherapy for glioblastoma (GBM). In this study, we prepared iRGD-modified polymeric nanoparticles, loaded with a CXCR4 Antagonist (AMD3100) and a small-molecule checkpoint inhibitor of PD-L1 (BMS-1) to overcome physical barriers and reprogram the immunosuppressive microenvironment in orthotopic GBM models. In this nanoplatform, AMD3100 converted the "cold" immune microenvironment into a "hot" one, while BMS-1 synergistically counteracted PD-L1 inhibition, enhancing GBM immunotherapy. Our findings underscore the potential of dual-blockade of CXCL12/CXCR4 and PD-1/PD-L1 pathways as a complementary approach to maximize therapeutic efficacy for GBM. Moreover, our study revealed that MRI radiomics provided a clinically translatable means to assess immunotherapeutic efficacy.

Keywords

CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling; MRI radiomics; blood-brain barrier; glioblastoma; immunosuppressive microenvironment.

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