Fig. 5

Synergistic nanosonosensitiser-augmented SDT and immunotherapy for in vivo suppression of mimic distant tumours in a subcutaneous tumour model. a Schematic showing the experiment design for in vivo evaluations. Mice bearing 4T1 subcutaneous tumours on both sides were used in this experiment. Tumours on the right side of the check were designed as “primary tumour” for SDT, and those on the left side were set as “mimic distant tumours” without SDT; b in vivo fluorescence images to reveal the biodistribution of HMME/R837@Lip post i.v. injection into 4T1-tumour-bearing mice at the indicated time points. Yellow arrows indicate tumours; c the accumulation curve of HMME/R837@Lip in the tumour tissue by measuring the fluorescence intensity of tumours at different time points post i.v. injection, error bars are based on SD (n = 3); d the ex vivo fluorescence image of major organs and tumour dissected from the mouse 24 and 48 h post injection and (e) quantification analysis of the tissue content of HMME/R837@Lip by testing the corresponding fluorescence intensity; data are expressed as means ± SD (n = 3); f, h primary (f) and distant (h) tumours growth curves of different groups of tumour-bearing mice after various treatments as indicated in the figure. Error bars are based on SD (n = 5); average weights of g primary and i distant tumours at the end of treatment; time-dependent body temperature (j) and weight (k) surveillance of mice (n = 5) after different treatments. Statistical significances were calculated via Student’s t test, **p < 0.01 and ***p < 0.001