Orchestrated metal-coordinated carrier-free celastrol hydrogel intensifies T cell activation and regulates response to immune checkpoint blockade for synergistic chemo-immunotherapy

The challenges generated by insufficient T cell activation and infiltration have constrained the application of immunotherapy. Making matters worse, the complex tumor microenvironment (TME), resistance to apoptosis collectively poses obstacles for cancer treatment. The carrier-free small molecular self-assembly strategy is a current research hotspot to overcome these challenges. This strategy can transform multiple functional agents into sustain-released hydrogel without the addition of any excipients. Herein, a coordination and hydrogen bond mediated tricomponent hydrogel (Cel hydrogel) composed of glycyrrhizic acid (GA), copper ions (Cu