CaCO(3) powder-mediated biomineralization of antigen nanosponges synergize with PD-1 blockade to potentiate anti-tumor immunity

Antigen self-assembly nanovaccines advance the minimalist design of therapeutic cancer vaccines, but the issue of inefficient cross-presentation has not yet been fully addressed. Herein, we report a unique approach by combining the concepts of “antigen multi-copy display” and “calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) biomineralization” to increase cross-presentation. Based on this strategy, we successfully construct sub-100 nm biomineralized antigen nanosponges (BANSs) with high CaCO(3) loading (38.13 wt%) and antigen density (61.87%). BANSs can be effectively uptaken by immature antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in the lymph node upon subcutaneous injection. Achieving efficient spatiotemporal coordination of antigen cross-presentation and immune effects, BANSs induce the production of CD4(+) T helper cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes, resulting in effective tumor growth inhibition. BANSs combined with anti-PD-1 antibodies synergistically enhance anti-tumor immunity and reverse the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment. Overall, this CaCO(3) powder-mediated biomineralization of antigen nanosponges offer a robust and safe strategy for cancer immunotherapy. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12951-023-01870-x.