Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) promote tumor immune escape through multiple mechanisms including suppressing antitumor activities of T lymphocytes. However, therapeutic abrogation of MDSCs often causes severe adverse effects, compensatory recruitment of alternative cell populations, and the multiplicity and complexity of relevant cytokines/receptors. Alternatively, suppressing the expansion and tumor trafficking of MDSCs may be a proficient and safe way for cancer treatment. Here we report that pseudoneutrophil cytokine sponges (pCSs) can disrupt expansion and tumor trafficking of MDSCs and reverse immune tolerance. Coated with plasma membranes of neutrophils phenotypically and morphologically similar to polymorphonuclear MDSCs (PMN-MDSCs), the nanosized pCSs inherited most membrane receptors from the “parental” neutrophils, enabling the neutralization of MDSC-related cytokines. Upon pCSs administration, the expansion of MDSCs and their enrichment in peripheral lymphoid organs and tumors were reduced without the compensatory influx of alternative myeloid subsets. In murine breast cancer and melanoma syngeneic models, pCSs treatment dramatically increased the number of tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes and restored their antitumor functions. In addition, when pCSs were combined with the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), the immune checkpoint blockade synergistically suppressed tumor progression and prolonged animal survival. Overall, the pseudocell nanoplatform opens up new paths toward effective cancer immunotherapy.

A cuprous bromide-catalyzed heteroannulation reaction of [60]fullerene with ketoxime acetates has been exploited to prepare novel 1-fulleropyrrolines through the cleavage of N-O and C-H bonds and formation of C-C and C-N bonds under thermal conditions. A plausible mechanism for the formation of 1-fulleropyrrolines is proposed on the basis of the experimental results. The electrochemistry of the obtained products has also been investigated.

The FeCl3-mediated reaction of [60]fullerene with N-benzhydryl sulfonamides afforded C60-fused indane derivatives using the high-speed vibration milling technique. A possible reaction mechanism involving the unprecedented FeCl3-mediated homolytic C-N bond cleavage of N-benzhydryl sulfonamides is proposed. The electrochemistry of the obtained C60-fused indanes was also investigated.

The palladium-catalysed heteroannulation of [60]fullerene with various N-benzyl sulfonamides via C-H bond activation affords [60]fullerene-fused tetrahydroisoquinolines. In the presence of a Brønsted acid [60]fullerene-fused tetrahydroisoquinolines are transformed to [60]fullerene-fused indanes, in which the sulfonamide group can be removed or replaced with an aryl group.