Radiofrequency-thermal effect of cisplatin-crosslinked nanogels for triple therapies of ablation-chemo-embolization

• Pt-PNA was first developed as RF-responsive embolic nano-platform. • Pt-PNA diffuse rapidly into tumor peripheral arteries and block the tumor blood. • Pt-PNA is a nano-platform for efficiently synergizing various therapeutic models. • Pt-PNA greatly induced a favorable immune response. Improving the synergistic effect of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and trans-artery chemo-embolization (TACE) remains the main challenge in interventional cancer therapy. The present study reports cisplatin-crosslinking poly(N-isoprylacrylamide- b -methyl acrylic acid) nanogels (Pt-PNA) based on the RF-thermal effect of cisplatin as the RF-responsive embolic nano-platform that acts via coordination bonding between Pt(II) ions and carboxyl, thereby triggering cell apoptosis, necrosis, and metastasis inhibition. Moreover, Pt-PNA might diffuse rapidly into tumor peripheral arteries and block the tumor blood supply facilitated by temperature-sensitive sol-gel transition, thereby achieving efficient TACE cancer therapy. The antitumor efficacy exhibited in vivo by Pt-PNA indicated that the radiofrequency-responsive Pt-PNA greatly improved the hypoxic tumor microenvironment after the TAE procedure, thereby inducing a favorable immune response and enhancing the synergistic antitumor effect of RFA and TACE.