Multiplexed Serial Imaging of Immunotherapy Response with Serrs Nanoprobes

With the advent of new and promising cancer therapies, and with increased interest in precision medicine, there is an urgent need to develop non-invasive technologies that evaluate heterogeneity in treatment response. We demonstrate an 8-plex imaging platform based on surface enhanced resonance Raman scattering nanoparticles (SERRS NPs) to monitor the expression of 4 immunomarkers before and after treatment with checkpoint blockade therapy with anti-CTLA4 and anti-PD-1 antibodies in immunotherapy models of colon (CT26) and breast (4T1) cancers. We found that CT26 tumors showed an early treatment response, while the typically refractory 4T1 tumors demonstrated an unexpected treatment response, suggesting that the nanoparticles may have synergistically contributed to the treatment. Serial imaging of multiple markers during therapy can help predict treatment efficacy and uncover new theranostic adjuvants.