Figure 1.

Nanoparticles releasing immunometabolism regulators together with immunogenic cell death inducers render tumors responsive to immune checkpoint blockade. Near-infrared photo-immunometabolic cancer therapy (PICT) employs programmed raspberry-structured nanoadjuvants (PRN^MT) that facilitate the tumor-directed deployment of the indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) inhibitor 1-methyl-tryptophan (1-MT) and CuS₅ nanoparticles. Inhibition of IDO1 together with deep tissue penetrating photothermal therapy (PTT) of the tumor by NIR-II irradiation triggers the induction of immunogenic cell death (ICD) and can be advantageously combined with immune checkpoint blockade.

Abbreviations: CTL, cytotoxic T lymphocyte; DAMP, danger associated molecular pattern; PTT, photothermal therapy; TME, tumor microenvironment.