Spiny pollen-based antigen-presenting clusters for promoting T cells expansion

Adoptive T cell immunotherapy is a powerful strategy for clinical cancer treatment. As a critical step to generate clinical-grade T cell products for therapeutic applications, novel approaches for T cell activation and expansion attract increasing attention. Here, we develop hydrogel-integrated natural pollens as artificial antigen-presenting scaffolds for ex vivo T cell expansion. Black phosphorus is presented in the scaffolds that allow for NIR-triggered release of cytokines and antibodies for T cell activation. Besides, the distinctive spike structure and high surface area of pollens contribute to T cell cluster formation and enhance their local proliferation. After ex vivo expansion, the activated T cells exhibit robust antitumor activity. Therefore, these features demonstrate that the novel pollen-based antigen-presenting scaffolds are promising for therapeutic T cell preparation.