Sequential acid/reduction response of triblock copolymeric nanomicelles to release camptothecin and toll-like receptor 7/8 agonist for orchestrated chemoimmunotherapy

BACKGROUND: Immunosuppressive tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) lowers immunotherapy effectiveness. Additionally, low penetration efficiency and unpredictable drug release in tumor areas restrict tumor therapy. METHODS: A triblock copolymeric micelle (Nano(PCPT+PIMDQ)) was developed to carry the chemotherapeutic drug camptothecin (CPT) and the TLR7/8 agonist 1-(4-(aminomethyl)benzyl)-2-butyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-c] quinoline-4-amine (IMDQ) to achieve deep tumor penetration and on-demand drug release by responding to acid and reduction stimuli sequentially. The synergistic antitumour efficacy of Nano(PCPT+PIMDQ) was assessed both in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: Nano(PCPT+PIMDQ) is composed of a hydrophilic PEG(polyethylene glycol) outer layer, an acid-sensitive EPEMA middle layer, and a drug inner core. Upon intratumoral injection, (i) Nano(PCPT+PIMDQ) first responds to the acidic tumor microenvironment and disintegrates to PIMDQ and PCPT, penetrating deep regions of the tumor; (ii) tumor cells are killed by the released CPT; (iii) DCs are activated by PIMDQ to increase the infiltration of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL); and (iv) both downregulated Foxp3(+) Tregs by CPT and repolarized M2 macrophages by PIMDQ can relieve the TIME. CONCLUSION: This pH/GSH-responsive triblock polymer-drug conjugate reduces immunosuppression and enhances the infiltration of CTLs by codelivering CPT and IMDQ in a controllable manner, providing a promising platform for synergistic tumor chemoimmunotherapy. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12951-022-01577-5.