Nanographene oxide synergizes with a novel biopolymer for localized ablative immunotherapy for cancer treatment

Localized ablative immunotherapy (LAIT) combines targeted photothermal therapy (PTT) and immunotherapy to ablate the primary tumor site using laser irradiation while inducing systemic and specific anti-tumor immune responses for the treatment of metastatic cancers. The therapeutic efficiency of LAIT synergized with nanomedicine has been proven to be safe and effective for cancer treatment. Here, graphene oxide (GO) is used as a light-absorbing agent to enhance the generation of heat caused by PTT and increase its tumoricidal effect. GO is also a nanocarrier for drug delivery of the immune-stimulating biopolymer N-dihydrogalactochitosan (GC). GC is an innovative and effective immunostimulant/adjuvant with surfactant properties that was used to functionalize GO nanosheets. This work was designed to determine the main properties of GO/GC nanoparticles (NPs) when used in combination with PTT. The therapeutic efficacy of the treatment is being assessed on a highly aggressive and poorly immunogenic pancreatic tumor model in mice. Overall, GO/GC shows promising properties as a stable, safe, and effective photothermal agent and immunostimulant for nano-ablative immunotherapy for cancer.