Fig. 4: NPs improved the immune response to suppress CRC growth by regulating the chemokines secreted by CAFs in vivo.

a Schematic illustration of the treatment strategy and related immune assessment in vivo based on NPs for the CT26 and the CT26 + BALB/3T3 group. b Individual tumor growth curves and (c) average tumor growth curves of the CT26 and the CT26 + BALB/3T3 group without or with the treatment of NPs. d Representative images of mice bearing CT26 cells and CT26 + BALB/3T3 cells without or with the treatment of NPs. e Body weight curves of CT26 cells- and CT26 + BALB/3T3 cells-bearing mice without or with the treatment of NPs. f Quantified expression of CCL3 and CXCL12 in homogenized tumor tissues from the CT26 and the CT26 + BALB/3T3 groups without or with the treatment of NPs. g Flow cytometry and corresponding statistical analysis of CD11c⁺MHC II⁺CD80⁺ and CD11c⁺MHC II⁺CD86⁺ cells (in total CD45⁺ cells) around tumor tissues of mice in four groups. h Statistical analysis of flow cytometry of CD3⁺CD8⁺Eomes⁺ and CD3⁺CD8⁺T-bet⁺ cells around tumor tissues of mice in four groups. i Statistical analysis of flow cytometry of CD3⁺CD8⁺CD107a⁺, CD3⁺CD8⁺IFN-γ⁺, and CD3⁺CD8⁺TNF-α⁺ cells around tumor tissues of mice in four groups. n = 5 mice per group in (b–e) and n = 3 independent experiments per group in (f–i). Data are presented as means ± SD. Statistical analyses are performed using two-way ANOVA with multiple comparisons for (c); and one-way ANOVA with multiple comparisons for (f–i). Source data are provided as a Source Data file.