Natural nanoparticles have been extensively studied due to their diverse properties and easy accessibility. Here, the nanoparticles extracted from cuttlefish ink (CINPs) with significant antitumor efficacy are explored. These CINPs, with spherical morphology, good dispersibility, and biocompatibility, are rich in melanin and contain a variety of amino acids and monosaccharides. Through the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, CINPs can efficiently reprogram tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) from immune-suppressive M2-like phenotype to antitumor M1-like phenotype. Besides, under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, CINPs exhibit high photothermal effect and tumor cell killing ability, which make them a potential candidate in photothermal therapy (PTT) of tumor. In vivo, CINPs can increase the proportion of M1 macrophages and foster the recruitment of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) to tumors, leading to reduced primary tumor growth and lung metastasis. In combination with their photothermal effect, which can induce tumor-specific antigens release, CINPs could almost completely inhibit tumor growth accompanied by more active immune responses. Collectively, these CINPs described here can provide both tumor immunotherapy and PTT, implying that CINPs are promising for tumor treatment.
Keywords: immunotherapy; macrophage; photothermal therapy; repolarization; tumor.