biostudies-literatureWang YNational Natural Science Foundation of China4964https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8368031biostudies-literatureUnknown12(1)Immunological adjuvants are essential for successful cancer vaccination. However, traditional adjuvants have some limitations, such as lack of controllability and induction of systemic toxicity, which restrict their broad application. Here, we present a light-activable immunological adjuvant (LIA), which is composed of a hypoxia-responsive amphiphilic dendrimer nanoparticle loaded with chlorin e6. Under irradiation with near-infrared light, the LIA not only induces tumour cell lysis and tumour antigen release, but also promotes the structural transformation of 2-nitroimidazole containing dendrimer to 2-aminoimidazole containing dendrimer which can activate dendritic cells via the Toll-like receptor 7-mediated signaling pathway. The LIA efficiently inhibits both primary and abscopal tumour Nature communicationsAn amphiphilic dendrimer as a light-activable immunological adjuvant for in situ cancer vaccination.PMC836803131630027Tan HZhang JChen JLi FNi QQing GOu CWang JZhao YLiu XLi XMa CZhang YGong NGan YWang YChen SLiang XJYuan YfalseAn amphiphilic dendrimer as a light-activable immunological adjuvant for in situ cancer vaccination.Immunological adjuvants are essential for successful cancer vaccination. However, traditional adjuvants have some limitations, such as lack of controllability and induction of systemic toxicity, which restrict their broad application. Here, we present a light-activable immunological adjuvant (LIA), which is composed of a hypoxia-responsive amphiphilic dendrimer nanoparticle loaded with chlorin e6. Under irradiation with near-infrared light, the LIA not only induces tumour cell lysis and tumour antigen release, but also promotes the structural transformation of 2-nitroimidazole containing dendrimer to 2-aminoimidazole containing dendrimer which can activate dendritic cells via the Toll-like receptor 7-mediated signaling pathway. The LIA efficiently inhibits both primary and abscopal tumour 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z2021 Aug2026-05-09T02:23:33.472Z2022-02-11T10:12:17.976ZS-EPMC83680313440062810.1038/s41467-021-25197-z