Aptamer-Functionalized Granzyme B-Responsive Nanoprobe for Immunotherapy Assessment: Real-Time Monitoring of Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Activation Cleavage

Real-time visualization of immune effector functions remains pivotal for advancing cancer immunotherapy. However, most existing molecular probes are hindered by limited sensitivity and specificity due to their "always on" signals and the absence of targeted characteristics. To address this limitation, we engineered an activatable nanoprobe (A-GNP) through the integration of granzyme B-cleavable peptide substrates with CD63-targeting aptamers on gold nanoparticles. As expected, the peptide between the gold nanoparticle and the fluorophore was cleaved in the presence of granzyme B, resulting in a strong fluorescence recovery, which generated more than a 7-fold signal enhancement. Upon systemic administration, the A-GNP platform demonstrates dual selectivity: (1) spatial precision through CD63-mediated lysosomal accumulation in activated cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), and (2) molecular specificity through granzyme B-triggered fluorescence activation. The signal report strongly correlates with the CTL population in tumor tissues. In vivo fluorescence imaging revealed a 2.9-fold higher signal in immunotherapeutic-treated 4T1 tumor-bearing mice versus untreated controls, enabling quantitative mapping of immune activation dynamics in the tumor microenvironment. This modular design provides a versatile platform for developing next-generation theranostic sensors for targeting diverse immune checkpoint biomarkers.