Gas therapy potentiates aggregation-induced emission luminogen-based photoimmunotherapy of poorly immunogenic tumors through cGAS-STING pathway activation

Abstract The immunologically “cold” microenvironment of triple negative breast cancer results in resistance to current immunotherapy. Here, we reveal the immunoadjuvant property of gas therapy with cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway activation to augment aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active luminogen (AIEgen)-based photoimmunotherapy. A virus-mimicking hollow mesoporous tetrasulfide-doped organosilica is developed for co-encapsulation of AIEgen and manganese carbonyl to fabricate gas nanoadjuvant. As tetra-sulfide bonds are responsive to intratumoral glutathione, the gas nanoadjuvant achieves tumor-specific drug release, promotes photodynamic therapy, and produces…

• NU
  National University of Singapore

  Awards: NUHSRO/2021/034/TRP/09/ Nanomedicine, NUHSRO/2020/133/Startup/08
• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: No. 82073777, 82273874, 62005284, 2021YFA0909900, 82073777
• CS
  China Scholarship Council
• MR
  Medical Research Council
• NM
  National Medical Research Council

  Award: CG21APR1005