Targeted delivery of zoledronic acid through the sialic acid - Siglec axis for killing and reversal of M2 phenotypic tumor-associated macrophages – A promising cancer immunotherapy

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), like monoclonal antibodies of PD-1, CTLA-4, and their ligands, are effective only in some populations of patients with cancer, because the immunosuppressive state of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in some patients cannot be effectively reversed after ICI therapy. Sialic acid (SA) receptors in the Siglec family are highly expressed on the surface of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and most have immunosuppressive effects. Therefore, targeting TAMs (the siglec axis) to reverse tumor immunosuppression may provide a new direction for the development of novel tumor immunotherapies. We designed a Zoledronic acid (ZA)-loaded liposome modified by a SA-octadecylamine conjugate (ZA-SL) to act as a novel nanomedicine delivery platform. This platform can efficiently deliver ZA to TAMs through the combination of SA and Siglec-1 and exerts specific cytotoxicity or phenotypic remodeling of M2-like TAMs depending on the drug concentration in TAMs. In vivo experiments showed that ZA-SL had good TAM targeting ability, and after treatment, the S180 tumors of mice were significantly inhibited, and the proportion of M1-like TAMs was significantly higher than that of M2-like TAMs with no significant adverse reactions in mice. Therefore, SA-modified ZA-loaded liposomes may provide a promising strategy for cancer immunotherapy.