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Theranostics 2021; 11(4):1937-1952. doi:10.7150/thno.45511 This issue Cite

Research Paper

Manganese porphyrin-based metal-organic framework for synergistic sonodynamic therapy and ferroptosis in hypoxic tumors

Qingbo Xu^1,2#, Guiting Zhan^1#, Zelong Zhang¹, Tuying Yong¹, Xiangliang Yang^1,3,4✉, Lu Gan^1,3,4✉

1. National Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
2. Zhuhai Precision Medical Center, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai 519000, China.
3. Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry and Materia Medica, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
4. Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
#These authors contributed equally to this work.

✉ Corresponding authors: E-mail: luganhust.edu.cn (L. Gan); yangxlhust.edu.cn (X. Yang).

Abstract

Development of efficient therapeutic strategy to incorporate ultrasound (US)-triggered sonodynamic therapy (SDT) and ferroptosis is highly promising in cancer therapy. However, the SDT efficacy is severely limited by the hypoxia and high glutathione (GSH) in the tumor microenvironment, and ferroptosis is highly associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) and GSH depletion.

Methods: A manganese porphyrin-based metal-organic framework (Mn-MOF) was constructed as a nanosensitizer to self-supply oxygen (O₂) and decrease GSH for enhanced SDT and ferroptosis. In vitro and in vivo analysis, including characterization, O₂ generation, GSH depletion, ROS generation, lipid peroxidation, antitumor efficacy and tumor immune microenvironment were systematically evaluated.

Results: Mn-MOF exhibited catalase-like and GSH decreasing activity in vitro. After efficient internalization into cancer cells, Mn-MOF persistently catalyzed tumor-overexpressed H₂O₂ to in-situ produce O₂ to relieve tumor hypoxia and decrease GSH and GPX4, which facilitated the formation of ROS and ferroptosis to kill cancer cells upon US irradiation in hypoxic tumors. Thus, strong anticancer and anti-metastatic activity was found in H22 and 4T1 tumor-bearing mice after a single administration of Mn-MOF upon a single US irradiation. In addition, Mn-MOF showed strong antitumor immunity and improved immunosuppressive microenvironment upon US irradiation by increasing the numbers of activated CD8⁺ T cells and matured dendritic cells and decreaing the numbers of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in tumor tissues.

Conclusions: Mn-MOF holds great potential for hypoxic cancer therapy.

Keywords: metal-organic framework, catalase-like activity, GSH depletion, reactive oxygen species, sonodynamic therapy, ferroptosis

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