Recently, Prof. WU Zhengyan from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Prof. ZHANG Guilong from Binzhou Medical University, has developed an innovative nano-immune agonist that significantly improves immunotherapy outcomes for melanoma—a highly aggressive and hard-to-treat form of skin cancer.

The study, recently accepted by the Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, introduces a biodegradable therapeutic nanomaterial called pLCGM-OVA.

Melanoma remains a clinical challenge largely due to its strong immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment, which weakens the effectiveness of conventional immune checkpoint inhibitors.

To overcome this hurdle, the researchers designed a multifunctional nanoplatform capable of reshaping the tumour microenvironment and enhancing the body' s natural immune defence against cancer.

To address this issue, the team designed and synthesised a safe and efficient nano-immune agonist.

It works through a combination of mechanisms: it induces immunogenic cell death via reactive oxygen species and copper-triggered cuproptosis—a newly recognised form of regulated cell death.

Additionally, it incorporates ovalbumin (OVA) as a model antigen to boost vaccine-like immune responses, and importantly, it activates the cGAS-STING signalling pathway, a key player in innate immune activation.

Together, these effects stimulate a strong anti-tumour immune response, effectively suppressing both melanoma growth and recurrence.

Beyond its therapeutic capabilities, pLCGM-OVA also serves as a T₁-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent, enabling simultaneous diagnosis and treatment—a promising step toward advanced cancer theranostics.

This research marks a significant advancement in nanomedicine and cancer immunotherapy, offering new hope for more effective melanoma treatments.

Source: Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences