journal article·2026-03-17

Photoactivatable Nanozyme-Integrated Microneedles Orchestrate a Self-Amplifying Immunogenic Cell Death–STING Signaling Circuit for Tumor Immune Rewiring

Yushu Dong, Yu Zhang, Shuiling Chen, Rongjie Yang, Ming Li, Xia Liu, Jianwen Hou, Shaobing Zhou

ACS Nano· Volume 20· Issue 10
Publisher page

Abstract

Solid tumors characterized by intrinsically low immunogenicity and a profoundly immunosuppressive microenvironment remain largely refractory to current cancer immunotherapies. Here, a photoactivatable nanozyme-integrated microneedle platform (HTHPH MNs) is developed to enable spatiotemporally controlled immunomodulation via a self-cascaded immunogenic cell death (ICD)–stimulator of interferon genes (STING) amplification circuit. Hollow mesoporous Prussian blue (HMPB) nanozymes coloaded with hydroxyurea (HU) and thapsigargin (TG) are embedded within a poly(γ-glutamic acid) microneedle matrix, allowing localized and minimally invasive intratumoral delivery. Upon near-infrared irradiation, the nanozymes simultaneously induce mild hyperthermia and catalyze endogenous hydrogen peroxide into highly reactive hydroxyl radicals, suppressing heat shock protein-mediated thermotolerance and triggering robust ICD. HU inhibits DNA replication and repair, promoting cytosolic double-stranded DNA accumulation and activation of the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS–STING) pathway, while TG induces endoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ depletion to relieve stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1)-mediated inhibition of STING trafficking, thereby amplifying type I interferon signaling. This trimodal self-amplifying immune cascade enhances tumor immunogenicity, remodels the tumor immune microenvironment, and elicits potent local and systemic T cell-mediated antitumor responses. Collectively, this work establishes a nanozyme–microneedle-integrated strategy for the precise orchestration of innate and adaptive antitumor immunity.
Source: openalex_inverted_index · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics · interferon and immune responses · Cancer Research and Treatments

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Institute of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine

Southwest Jiaotong University

Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering

School of Chemistry

Funding

Southwest Jiaotong University · Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities · National Natural Science Foundation of China · Sichuan Province

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