Efficacy of PVX and PEGylated PVX as intratumoral immunotherapy

Abstract

Intratumoral immunotherapy harnesses the tumor microenvironment to enhance local immune activation and systemic antitumor responses. Plant virus nanoparticles have emerged as potent immunostimulatory agents for this strategy. Here, we investigate the efficacy of PEGylated potato virus X (PVX–PEG) in a B-cell lymphoma model. We synthesized PVX–PEG using bis-PEG_n-NHS esters and confirmed successful conjugation through SDS–PAGE, dynamic light scattering, and transmission electron microscopy. PEGylation improved formulation stability, as evidenced by increased thermal resistance and reduced aggregation in biological conditions. In vivo, PVX–PEG exhibited prolonged tumor retention and maintained its immunotherapeutic efficacy, comparable to native PVX. Furthermore, antibody recognition of PVX–PEG was significantly reduced, highlighting its potential for clinical translation. These results suggest that PVX–PEG retains the immunostimulatory benefits of PVX while overcoming key formulation and immunogenicity challenges, supporting its advancement as a novel intratumoral immunotherapy for lymphoma.