NSAID-Au(I) Complexes Induce ROS-Driven DAMPs and Interpose Inflammation to Stimulate the Immune Response against Ovarian Cancer.

Inflammation contributes to the development of ovarian cancer, and chemoresistance is a principal obstacle in ovarian cancer treatment. Herein, we designed and synthesized a series of gold(I) complexes derived from NSAIDs or their analogues. Among them, complex () displayed higher antitumor activity than cisplatin and other gold(I) complexes. could induce oxidative stress and the damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) process by the inhibition of TrxR activity. Mechanistic studies revealed that simultaneous downregulation of COX-2 and PD-L1 was observed after treatment. Interestingly, in vivo experiments demonstrated that treatment could stimulate the immune response via reducing the expression of PD-L1, inducing DC maturation and increasing the infiltration of T (CD4 and CD8) cells. Collectively, our studies found that the gold(I) complex could elicit immunogenic cell death (ICD) and provide a promising strategy for chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy in the treatment of ovarian cancer.