Comparison of metabolic and immunologic responses to transarterial chemoembolization with different chemoembolic regimens in a rabbit VX2 liver tumor model

Objectives The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of TACE using Lipiodol, Oncozene™ drug-eluting embolics (DEEs), or LUMI™-DEEs alone, or combined with bicarbonate on the metabolic and immunological tumor microenvironment in a rabbit VX2 tumor model. Methods VX2 liver tumor-bearing rabbits were assigned to five groups. MRI and extracellular pH (pH e ) mapping using Biosensor Imaging of Redundant Deviation in Shifts (BIRDS) were performed before and after intra-arterial therapy with conventional TACE (cTACE), DEE-TACE with Idarubicin-eluting Oncozene™-DEEs, or Doxorubicin-eluting LUMI™-DEEs, each with or without prior bicarbonate infusion, and in untreated rabbits or treated with intra-arterial bicarbonate only. Imaging results were validated with immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of cell viability (PCNA, TUNEL) and immune response (HLA-DR, CD3). Statistical analysis was performed using Mann–Whitney U test. Results pH e mapping revealed that combining cTACE with prior bicarbonate infusion significantly increased tumor pH e compared to control ( p = 0.0175) and cTACE alone ( p = 0.0025). IHC staining revealed peritumoral accumulation of HLA-DR + antigen-presenting cells and CD3 + T-lymphocytes in controls. cTACE-treated tumors showed reduced immune infiltration, which was restored through combination with bicarbonate. DEE-TACE with Oncozene™-DEEs induced moderate intratumoral and marked peritumoral infiltration, which was slightly reduced with bicarbonate. Addition of bicarbonate prior to LUMI™-beads enhanced peritumoral immune cell infiltration compared to LUMI™-beads alone and resulted in the strongest intratumoral immune cell infiltration across all treated groups. Conclusions The choice of chemoembolic regimen for TACE strongly affects post-treatment TME pH e and the ability of immune cells to accumulate and infiltrate the tumor tissue. Key Points • Combining conventional transarterial chemotherapy with prior bicarbonate infusion increases the pH e towards a more physiological value (p = 0.0025). • Peritumoral infiltration and intratumoral accumulation patterns of antigen-presenting cells and T-lymphocytes after transarterial chemotherapy were dependent on the choice of the chemoembolic regimen. • Combination of intra-arterial treatment with Doxorubicin-eluting LUMI™-beads and bicarbonate infusion resulted in the strongest intratumoral presence of immune cells (positivity index of 0.47 for HLADR + -cells and 0.62 for CD3 + -cells).