An In Situ Chemotherapy Drug Combined with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor for Chemoimmunotherapy

This study explores the combination of copper-doped mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MS-Cu) with immune checkpoint inhibitors for enhanced chemoimmunotherapy. Two types of nanoparticles, MS-Cu–1 (30 nm) and MS-Cu–2 (200 nm), were synthesized, with MS-Cu–2 showing superior tumor microenvironment modulation. The DSF/MS-Cu composites, combining disulfiram (DSF) and copper, demonstrated strong cell-killing effects at low doses (1–10 μg/mL) and released more Cu2+ in acidic conditions, producing tumor-killing CuETs. In vivo, DSF/MS-Cu significantly inhibited tumor growth, and its combination with anti-CTLA–4 antibody further enhanced this effect, indicating a promising synergistic approach for cancer treatment.