Purpose: Recent studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), such as gambogic acid (GA), is involved in the regulation of tumor immune microenvironment and can be combined with other anti-tumor treatment strategies. Here, we used GA as an adjuvant to construct a nano-vaccine to improve the anti-tumor immune response of colorectal cancer (CRC).
Materials and Methods: We used a previously reported two-step emulsification method to obtain poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) /GA nanoparticles (PLGA/GA NPs), and then CT26 colon cancer cell membrane (CCM) was used to obtain CCM-PLGA/GA NPs. This novel nano-vaccine, CCM-PLGA/GA NPs, was co-synthesized with GA as an adjuvant and neoantigen provided by CT26 CCM. We further confirmed the stability, tumor targeting, and cytotoxicity of CCM-PLGA/GA NPs. The regulatory effect on the tumor immune microenvironment, the anti-tumor efficacy, and the combined anti-tumor efficacy with anti-PD-1 monoclonal Antibodies (mAbs) of this novel nano-vaccine was also detected in vivo.
Results: We successfully constructed the CCM-PLGA/GA NPs. In vitro and in vivo tests showed low biological toxicity, as well as the high tumor-targeting ability of the CCM-PLGA/GA NPs. Besides, we revealed a remarkable effect of CCM-PLGA/GA NPs to activate the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) and the formation of a positive anti-tumor immune microenvironment.
Conclusion: This novel nano-vaccine constructed with GA as the adjuvant and CCM providing the tumor antigen can not only directly kill tumors by enhancing the ability of GA to target tumors, but also indirectly kill tumors by regulating tumor immune microenvironment, providing a new strategy for immunotherapy of CRC.
Keywords: cancer immunotherapy, gambogic acid, nano-vaccine, tumor immune microenvironment, colorectal cancer