Biomimetic nanoplatforms for combined DDR2 inhibition and photothermal therapy in dense breast cancer treatment.

Abstract

Breast cancer treatment remains challenging due to the dense, fibrotic tumor microenvironment (TME), which is dominated by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), hinders drug delivery and promotes therapy resistance. While photothermal therapy (PTT) can induce localized tumor ablation, its efficacy is often limited by poor nanoparticle penetration and CAF-mediated immune suppression. Here, we developed M@P-WIs, a biomimetic nanoplatform that combines PTT with targeted CAF modulation. Unlike conventional approaches, M@P-WIs co-deliver a photothermal agent (IR-780) and the discoidin domain receptor 2 (DDR2) inhibitor WRG-28, enabling simultaneous tumor cell ablation and stromal remodeling. In preclinical studies, this dual-action strategy significantly suppressed metastasis, induced CAF apoptosis, and dismantled the fibrotic barrier while preventing CAF repopulation. In murine breast cancer models, M@P-WIs achieved complete primary tumor regression and established long-term immunological memory, thereby reducing recurrence and metastasis. Importantly, we have identified a novel resistance mechanism, by which PTT alone triggers residual tumor cells to secrete TGF-β-rich exosomes, promoting fibroblast-to-CAF transformation and excessive ECM deposition. M@P-WIs effectively overcome this resistance mechanism by producing complete CAF depletion alongside tumor ablation. Our findings demonstrate that integrating CAF-targeted stromal modulation with PTT synergistically enhances therapeutic efficacy, offering a promising strategy for treating stroma-rich, aggressive tumors.