Fig. 5: LND-CDN enhances cytokine production in tumours and delivery of CDN to tumour cells.

a, Tumour growth (mean ± s.e.m.) (left) and survival for mice (n = 5 animals per group) (right) bearing MC38 flank tumours treated with LND-CDN as in Fig. 4a in the presence of neutralizing antibodies against IFN-γ (αIFN-γ), TNF-α (αTNF-α) or IFNAR-1 (αIFNAR-1). b, Mice (n = 5 animals per group) bearing MC38 tumours as in a were treated with 5 nmol parent CDN, LND-CDN or liposome-CDN and cytokine levels (mean ± s.e.m.) in tumour lysates were assessed 4 h later by bead-based ELISA. c, The number of live tumour cells per mg of tumour (mean ± s.e.m.) was quantified by flow cytometry 24 h after treatment with LND-CDN or liposome-CDN, compared with untreated tumours (n = 5 mice per group). d–g, MC38-tumour-bearing mice (n = 4 animals per group, mean ± s.e.m. values are shown in bar graphs) as in a were administered Cy5-labelled LND or PEGylated liposomes, and uptake in cells isolated from tumours was assessed 24 h later by flow cytometry: shown are representative histograms, percentage nanoparticle-positive cells and mean fluorescence intensity for tumour endothelial cells (d), CD11b⁺CD11c^- myeloid cells (e), CD11c⁺CD11b⁻ dendritic cells (f) and CD45⁻ non-endothelial cells (g). Statistical comparisons among tumour areas in a and in b–g were performed using one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple-comparisons test and survival curves in a were compared using a log-rank (Mantel–Cox) test.