Tropomyosin Receptor Kinase C Targeted Delivery of a Peptidomimetic Ligand-Photosensitizer Conjugate Induces Antitumor Immune Responses Following Photodynamic Therapy

Tropomyosin receptor kinase C (TrkC) targeted ligand-photosensitizer construct, IYIY-diiodo-boron-dipyrromethene (IYIY-I(2)-BODIPY) and its scrambled counterpart YIYI-I(2)-BODIPY have been prepared. IYIY-I(2)-BODIPY binds TrkC similar to neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), and NT-3 has been reported to modulate immune responses. Moreover, it could be shown that photodynamic therapy (PDT) elevates antitumor immune responses. This prompted us to investigate the immunological impacts mediated by IYIY-I(2)-BODIPY in pre- and post-PDT conditions. We demonstrated that IYIY-I(2)-BODIPY (strong response) and YIYI-I(2)-BODIPY (weak response) at 10 mg/kg, but not I(2)-BODIPY control, increased the levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-17, but decreased the levels of systemic immunoregulatory mediators TGF-β, myeloid-derived suppressor cells and regulatory T-cells. Only IYIY-I(2)-BODIPY enhanced the IFN-γ(+) and IL-17(+) T-lymphocytes, and delayed tumor growth (~20% smaller size) in mice when administrated daily for 5 days. All those effects were observed without irradiation; when irradiated (520 nm, 100 J/cm(2), 160 mW/cm(2)) to produce PDT effects (drug-light interval 1 h), IYIY-I(2)-BODIPY induced stronger responses. Moreover, photoirradiated IYIY-I(2)-BODIPY treated mice had high levels of effector T-cells compared to controls. Adoptive transfer of immune cells from IYIY-I(2)-BODIPY-treated survivor mice that were photoirradiated gave significantly delayed tumor growth (~40–50% smaller size) in recipient mice. IYIY-I(2)-BODIPY alone and in combination with PDT modulates the immune response in such a way that tumor growth is suppressed. Unlike immunosuppressive conventional chemotherapy, IYIY-I(2)-BODIPY can act as an immune-stimulatory chemotherapeutic agent with potential applications in clinical cancer treatment.