Single-dose injectable nanovaccine-in-hydrogel for robust immunotherapy of large tumors with abscopal effect

Abstract

Current cancer immunotherapy [e.g., immune checkpoint blockade (ICB)] only benefits small subsets of patients, largely due to immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). In situ tumor vaccination can reduce TME immunosuppression and thereby improve cancer immunotherapy. Here, we present single-dose injectable (nanovaccines + ICBs)-in-hydrogel (NvIH) for robust immunotherapy of large tumors with abscopal effect. NvIH is thermo-responsive hydrogel co-encapsulated with ICB antibodies and novel polymeric nanoparticles loaded with three immunostimulatory agonists for Toll-like receptors 7/8/9 (TLR7/8/9) and stimulator of interferon genes (STING). Upon in situ tumor vaccination, NvIH undergoes rapid sol-to-gel transformation, prolongs tumor retention, sustains the release of immunotherapeutics, and reduces acute systemic inflammation. In multiple poorly immunogenic tumor models, single-dose NvIH reduces multitier TME immunosuppression, elicits potent TME and systemic innate and adaptive antitumor immunity with memory, and regresses both local (vaccinated) and distant large tumors with abscopal effect, including distant orthotopic glioblastoma. Overall, NvIH holds great potential for tumor immunotherapy.