As immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) evidently augment antitumor effects via the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling axis, along with enhanced expression of their target PD-L1,31 32 altering PD-L1 expression is considered significant.33 PD-L1 is reportedly inducible by inflammatory cytokines, especially IFNs.34 Since analysis of the intratumoral effector cells revealed that IFN-γ expression was elevated (figure 3A), PD-L1-targeted NIR-PIT might edit the tumor cell PD-L1 profile. Here, CD274 is linked to neoplasm.