In situ self-assembled cell reservoir hydrogel for maneuvering multistage radioimmunotherapy.

ABSTRACT: Radiotherapy (RT) is a clinical mainstay of cancer treatment that triggers tumor-specific immune responses. However, the effectiveness is usually hampered due to the hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME) and the ambivalent impact of RT on the immune landscape of tumors. Herein, we develop an injectable hydrogel encapsulating interleukin-12 (IL-12)/anti-CTLA-4 (aCTLA-4) co-engineered red blood cells (RBC), which is in situ self-assembled within the TME to increase oxygen supply and instigate sequential aCTLA-4/IL-12 release, thus achieving Ba/O₂ self-compensated radiosensitization and activating multistage immune responses. Once in the acidic TME, the in situ injected BaO₂ undergoes hydrolysis to generate H₂O₂ and Ba²⁺, followed by the r

SUBMITTER: Chen Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12916835 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature