EGFR-targeted liposomal nanohybrid cerasomes: theranostic function and immune checkpoint inhibition in a mouse model of colorectal cancer

• Published in: Nanoscale Vol. 1; no. 35; pp. 16738 - 16749
• Main Authors: Li, Yuan, Du, Yang, Liang, Xiaolong, Sun, Ting, Xue, Huadan, Tian, Jie, Jin, Zhengyu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Royal Society of Chemistry 13.09.2018
• Subjects: Animals; Anticancer properties; B7-H1 Antigen; Cell Line, Tumor; Cetuximab - administration & dosage; Colorectal Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Colorectal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Drug Carriers; ErbB Receptors - metabolism; Gadolinium; Growth factors; Immunotherapy; Liposomes; Male; Medical imaging; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Monoclonal antibodies; Nanoparticles; Optical Imaging; Photochemotherapy; Photodynamic therapy; Porphyrins; Targeted cancer therapy; Theranostic Nanomedicine; Tumors
• ISSN: 2040-3364; 2040-3372; 2040-3372
• DOI: 10.1039/c8nr05803b

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a major target for the treatment of colorectal cancers (CRCs), and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) is an attractive target for CRC immunotherapy. Herein, we report the synthesis of porphyrin-containing liposomal nanohybrid cerasomes decorated with cetuximab, an anti-EGFR antibody, and conjugated with IRDye800CW and MRI contrast DOTA-Gd, to enable in vivo tumor detection and photodynamic therapy (PDT). Moreover, PD-L1 was added for adjuvant therapy. The antitumor efficacy of PDT combined with PD-L1 immunotherapy was assessed. EGFR-targeted nanoparticles showed the targeted imaging of tumors. EGFR-targeted PDT combined with PD-L1 immunotherapy was more effective against tumor growth than simultaneous albeit nontargeted nanoparticle delivery with laser irradiation plus PD-L1 immunotherapy. Thus, EGFR-targeted nanoparticles exhibited significant potential toward dual-modality imaging-guided precise PDT, combined with immunotherapy. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a major target for the treatment of colorectal cancers (CRCs), and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) is an attractive target for CRC immunotherapy.