Fig. 4: Anti-tumor immune response mediated by FLICs-loaded hydrogel implants.
From: Optogenetic-controlled immunotherapeutic designer cells for post-surgical cancer immunotherapy
a–c The activated and effector phenotypes of NK cells evaluated in spleen of mice sacrificed on day 7 by flow cytometry. Representative flow cytometric analysis images (left) and corresponding quantification (right) of a NK cells, b CD69+ NK cells, and c CD11b+CD27+ NK cells. Representative flow cytometric analysis images (left) and corresponding quantification (right) of (d) NK cells, (e) CD69+ NK cells, and (f) CD11b+CD27+ NK cells in spleens of mice sacrificed on day 14. Representative flow cytometric analysis images (left) and corresponding quantification (right) of g Total CD8+ T cells and h CD69+CD8+ T cells in spleens of mice sacrificed on day 7. Representative flow cytometric analysis images (left) and corresponding quantification (right) of (i) Total CD8+ T cells and (j) CD69+CD8+ T cells in spleens of mice sacrificed on day 14. k The percentage of IFN-γ+CD8+ T cells in lymphocytes from spleen of mice sacrificed on day 7. Splenocytes were cultured with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA, 50 μg/mL) and ionomycin (50 μg/mL) at 37 °C. After 12 h, IFN-γ+CD8+ T cells were analyzed by intracellular cytokine staining flow cytometry. Representative flow cytometric analysis images (left) and corresponding quantification (right) of IFN-γ+CD8+ T cells. l Serial in vivo bioluminescence imaging of B16F10Luc tumors expressing luciferase before surgery and after surgical resection of primary tumors following resection site implantation of hydrogel scaffolds loaded with FLICs (IFN-β, TNF-α, and IL-12) with or without intraperitoneal injection of anti-mouse NK-1.1 or anti-mouse CD8α. Six mice per group are shown. m Kaplan-Meier curves for mouse survival (n = 7 mice). Data in a–k are presented as the mean ± SEM (a–j, n = 5 mice; k, n = 6 mice) except representative flow cytometric analysis images. P values were calculated by two-tailed unpaired t-test. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.
