A Noble AuPtAg-GOx Nanozyme for Synergistic Tumor Immunotherapy Induced by Starvation Therapy-Augmented Mild Photothermal Therapy

Abstract

Notwithstanding immune checkpoint blocking (ICB) therapy has made eminent clinical breakthroughs, overcoming immunologically “cold” tumors remains challenging. Here, a cascade potentiated nanomodulator AuPtAg-GOx is engineered for boosting immune responsiveness. Upon 1064 nm laser irradiation, AuPtAg-mediated mild photothermal therapy (PTT) activates cytotoxic T lymphocytes and reverses the immunogenic “cold” tumor microenvironment. Further, to amplify the thermal sensitivity of tumor cells, glucose oxidase (GOx) is introduced to suppress the production of heat shock proteins, thereby promoting mild photothermal therapy. Complementarily, AuPtAg nanozymes with catalase-like activity can ameliorate tumor hypoxia, significantly improving the GOx activity. As a result, the combination of AuPtAg-GOx with self-augmented photothermal ability and PD-L1 antibody can further escalate the antitumor efficacy. The AuPtAg-GOx-based synergistic starvation therapy, mild PTT, and immunotherapy cascade enhancement therapy strategy can be a favorable tool to effectively kill cancer cells.