Recently, the research team led by Prof. Li Quan, Dean and Chief Scientist of the Institute of Intelligent Materials and Engineering, and Dean of the School of Intelligent Science and Engineering, 91抖淫, achieved important advancements in the field of tumor photoimmunotherapy mediated by cell membrane tension regulation. The related work, titled “Light-Triggered Azobenzene-Based Modulator of Membrane Tension Enhances Antitumor Photoimmunotherapy,” was published online as a cover feature inAdvanced Functional Materials, a top-tier journal in the field of materials science.
Figure 1. Theoretical analysis of the locations of MTTBN in the cell membrane under different isomeric states. (Image from Adv. Funct. Mater.)
The development of reversible stimuli-responsive materials offers opportunities for non-invasive spatiotemporal regulation of tumor diagnosis and treatment. Li Quan’s team reported a photo-responsive molecule featuring an azobenzene structure. This molecule can modulate the mechanical properties of the cell membrane under alternating ultraviolet/visible light irradiation, and upon exposure to visible laser light, it triggers increased membrane tension and rupture, thereby inducing immunogenic cell death in tumors. In a bilateral tumor model in vivo, phototherapy mediated by this molecule can not only significantly suppress the growth of primary tumors but also activate systemic antitumor immunity, effectively inhibiting distant tumor progression and promoting immune memory formation. Furthermore, this therapeutic approach maintains photoimmunotherapy at a controllable level while avoiding off-target damage. Li Quan’s team also noted that, as a reversible and spatiotemporally controllable molecular platform, the successful construction and functional validation of this system could provide important insights for the future development of near-infrared tumor diagnosis and treatment platforms based on two-photon excitation or other nonlinear optical strategies. By matching the absorption characteristics of azobenzene derivatives with the near-infrared spectra of phototherapeutic agents, it becomes feasible to integrate membrane mechanical regulation, efficient phototherapy, and systemic immunomodulation, thereby opening new directions for precision diagnosis and treatment of deep-seated tumors.
Li Quan and Tang Yuqi from Southeast University are the corresponding authors of the paper. The research was supported by the Jiangsu Provincial “Innovation and Entrepreneurship Team” Program, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Jiangsu Provincial Natural Science Foundation, and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation.
Paper’s link:https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.75447
Source: Wuxi Campus, 91抖淫
Translated by: Melody Zhang
Edited by: Leah Li
