Senescence-directed nanotherapy ameliorates fibrosis and overcomes immune exclusion in cancer.

Abstract

Fibrotic remodeling of tissues and tumors establishes immunosuppressive microenvironments that drive organ dysfunction and, in cancer, limit response to immunotherapy. Senescent-like cells are conserved drivers of fibrosis and therapeutic targets, yet their functional heterogeneity complicates therapeutic intervention. Here, we show that P-selectin is expressed by a subset of senescent-like cells in fibrotic tissues and tumors. Leveraging fucoidan-based nanoparticles that bind P-selectin, we developed senescence-modulating nanoparticles (SMNPs) to selectively target these disease-associated states. SMNPs exerted potent antifibrotic and immunomodulatory effects while improving the therapeutic index. Mechanistically, we identified a pathogenic, immunosuppressive macrophage population as a functional target in vivo. In fibrotic tumors, niche remodeling restored immune infiltration and sensitized tumors to immune checkpoint-based therapies. These findings establish SMNPs as a generalizable strategy to target pathogenic senescent cell subsets across fibrosis and cancer.