Chemiluminescence‐Powered Immunotherapy for Deep Tumors: Promoting PD‐L1 Degradation and Igniting Pyroptosis Through Subcellular Trafficking and Targeting

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Authors: Yahui Cao, Hao Zhang, Zihui Chen, Weiqing Liu, Jian Liu, Changhua Li
Cited by: 9
References: 56

Abstract

Organelle-targeted therapy represents a promising strategy for cancer therapy and immune activation. Here, we present a novel Chemiluminescence-Powered Immunotherapy (CPIT) platform designed to induce immunogenic pyroptosis and promote PD-L1 degradation by exploiting two key subcellular organelles-lysosomes and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). CPIT utilizes a PD-L1-targeted delivery vehicle (up to 10.8 %ID/g) to facilitate PD-L1 degradation within lysosomes (>55% efficiency) and concurrently delivers a dual-locked chemiluminescence-resonance energy transfer (CRET) system to the ER for localized pyroptosis. The dual-locking mechanism ensures tumor-selective and ER-confined activation, maximizing oxidative damage and specifically inducing pyroptosis while minimizing off-target toxicity. In vivo studies demonstrate remarkable tumor selectivity (due to tumor-specific delivery plus tumor-selective activation), robust regression of metastatic tumors, and the induction of a durable adaptive immune response. CPIT overcomes the limitation of conventional photodynamic therapy-driven immunogenic cell death (ICD) strategies, being effective only for superficial tumors. Simultaneously, it lowers the immune activation threshold by promoting PD-L1 degradation, addressing the challenge of T cell exhaustion common in ICD-based cancer immunotherapies. This approach holds promise as a transformative approach to treating hard-to-reach malignancies and expanding the reach of immunotherapeutic strategies. The modular design of CPIT enables rapid substitution of protein-specific ligands or alternative chemiluminescent donors, further expanding its potential for diverse cancer immunotherapy applications.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics Inflammasome and immune disorders interferon and immune responses

Publication details

Journal / source
Advanced Materials
Publisher
Wiley
Volume
38
Issue
12
Pages
e19569–e19569
Publication date
20 January 2026
Language
EN