Mol Ther: Fresh ginseng can reverse cold tumors and enhance the effect of tumor immunotherapy

The cold tumor microenvironment (TME) marked by low-efficiency T cell infiltration results in a weak response to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment

Cao Peng and Cao Meng from Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine discovered that ginseng-derived nanoparticles enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint antibodies by reprogramming the cold tumor microenvironment

Previously, the authors reported a kind of extracellular vesicles (EVs)-like ginseng-derived nanoparticles (GDNPs), which are isolated from ginseng, can change the M2 polarization to delay the progression of thermal tumor B16F10

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are closed structures of nanometer-sized lipid membranes secreted by cells

Studies have found that GDNPs have a strong affinity for monocytes and macrophages, can be effectively phagocytosed by macrophages, and at the same time promote the polarization of macrophages to M1 type macrophages with anti-tumor effects, and polarization Macrophages secrete large amounts of ROS to kill tumors

However, cold tumors are more common and challenging in the real world

The study found that vesicles are an important material basis for the efficacy of fresh ginseng, deepening the scientific understanding of traditional Chinese medicine, and bringing new enlightenment to expand the use of fresh medicine; it is also the first time that vesicles derived from medicinal plants have been found to be important.

Original source:

Han X, Wei Q, Lv Y, Weng L, Huang H, Wei Q, Li M, Mao Y, Hua D, Cai X, Cao M, Cao P.