A BRD4-Targeting Photothermal Agent for Controlled Protein Degradation.

BRD4 protein plays a pivotal role in cell cycle regulation and differentiation. Disrupting the activity of BRD4 has emerged as a promising strategy for inhibiting the growth and proliferation of cancer cells. Herein, we introduced a BRD4-targeting photothermal agent for controlled protein degradation, aiming to enhance low-temperature photothermal therapy (PTT) for cancer treatment. By incorporating a BRD4 protein inhibitor into a cyanine dye scaffold, the photothermal agent specifically bond to the bromodomain of BRD4. Upon low power density laser irradiation, the agent induced protein degradation, directly destroying the BRD4 structure and inhibiting its transcriptional regulatory function. This strategy not only prolonged the retention time of the photothermal agent in cancer cells but also confined the targeted protein degradation process solely to the tumor tissue, minimizing side effects on normal tissues through the aid of exogenous signals. This work established a simple and feasible platform for future PTT agent design in clinical cancer treatment.

A small-molecule Fenton reagent for self-augmented chemodynamic therapy by intelligently regulating intracellular acidosis.

A small-molecule Fenton reagent, integrating ferrocene with a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, was designed to intelligently regulate intracellular acidosis for self-augmented chemodynamic therapy. Acidosis coupled with up-regulated ROS levels demonstrated potent cytotoxicity and effective tumor suppression.

A Golgi Apparatus-Targeted Photothermal Agent with Protein Anchoring for Enhanced Cancer Photothermal Therapy.

The Golgi apparatus (GA) is central in shuttling proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum to different cellular areas. Therefore, targeting the GA to precisely destroy its proteins through local heat could induce apoptosis, offering a potential avenue for effective cancer therapy. Herein, a GA-targeted photothermal agent based on protein anchoring is introduced for enhanced photothermal therapy of tumor through the modification of near-infrared molecular dye with maleimide derivative and benzene sulfonamide. The photothermal agent can actively target the GA and covalently anchor to its sulfhydryl proteins, thereby increasing its retention within the GA. Under laser irradiation, the heat generated by the photothermal agent efficiently disrupts sulfhydryl proteins in situ, leading to GA dysfunction and ultimately inducing cell apoptosis. In vivo experiments demonstrate that the photothermal agent can precisely treat tumors and significantly reduce side effects.

Stimuli-responsive probes for amplification-based imaging of miRNAs in living cells.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as important biomarkers in biomedicine and bioimaging due to their roles in various physiological and pathological processes. Real-time and in situ monitoring of dynamic fluctuation of miRNAs in living cells is crucial for understanding these processes. However, current miRNA imaging probes still have some limitations, including the lack of effective amplification methods for low abundance miRNAs bioanalysis and uncontrollable activation, leading to background signals and potential false-positive results. Therefore, researchers have been integrating activatable devices with miRNA amplification techniques to design stimuli-responsive nanoprobes for "on-demand" and precise imaging of miRNAs in living cells. In this review, we summarize recent advances of stimuli-responsive probes for the amplification-based imaging of miRNAs in living cells and discuss the future challenges and opportunities in this field, aiming to provide valuable insights for accurate disease diagnosis and monitoring.

Metal-Organic Framework-Derived Multifunctional Nucleic Acid Nanoprobes for Hypoxia Imaging-Guided Radiosensitization.

The efficacy of radiotherapy (RT) is usually restricted by the hypoxic microenvironment and the poor radiation attenuation coefficient of tumor tissue. Theranostic probes that simultaneously evaluate the hypoxia degree and sensitize cancer cells toward RT are promising for improving the treatment efficacy and avoiding overtreatment. We rationally designed a metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived multifunctional nanoprobe for hypoxia imaging-guided radiosensitization. Hf-MOF was carbonized to obtain a porous carbonous nanostructure containing ultrasmall HfO2 (HfC); then, a fluorophore-labeled HIF-α mRNA antisense sequence was readily adsorbed and quenched by HfC to obtain the nanoprobe (termed HfC-Hy). The antisense sequence could easily hybridize with HIF-α mRNA and recover its fluorescence signal to evaluate the degree of hypoxia, while the HfC nanostructure could deposit more radiation energy in cancer cells for radiosensitization. A series of in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that the nanoprobe could be successfully utilized for imaging the hypoxic degree of cancer cells/tumor tissue and guiding radiosensitization. This work not only developed a highly efficient and safe nanosensitizer but also offered a potential solution for customized clinical RT.

Anti-inflammatory strategies for photothermal therapy of cancer.

High temperature generated by photothermal therapy (PTT) can trigger an inflammatory response at the tumor site, which not only limits the efficacy of PTT but also increases the risk of tumor metastasis and recurrence. In light of the current limitations posed by inflammation in PTT, several studies have revealed that inhibiting PTT-induced inflammation can significantly improve the efficacy of cancer treatment. In this review, we summarize the research progress made in combining anti-inflammatory strategies to enhance the effectiveness of PTT. The goal is to offer valuable insights for developing better-designed photothermal agents in clinical cancer therapy.

Tumor-targeted nanoflowers regulate glutamine metabolism and amplify oxidative stress for synergistic therapy.

We designed and synthesized tumor-targeted nanoflowers to inhibit glutamine metabolism and amplify oxidative stress, which could synergistically suppress tumor growth.

A protein-conjugated photosensitizer with mitochondrial targeting for enhanced photodynamic therapy.

A protein-conjugated photosensitizer with mitochondrial targeting ability was synthesized to enhance the therapeutic effects of PDT. The ROS produced by the photosensitizer under laser irradiation could effectively destroy key intracellular proteins and disrupt mitochondrial redox homeostasis, thereby causing mitochondrial dysfunction and irreversible cell death.

An autophagy-inhibitory MOF nanoreactor for tumor-targeted synergistic therapy.

An autophagy-inhibitory metal-organic framework (MOF) nanoreactor was developed for tumor-targeted synergistic therapy. The nanoreactor could inhibit autophagy to enhance the glucose oxidase (GOx)-mediated starvation therapy. The H2O2 generated in this process induced the polarization of macrophages to the M1 phenotype, which further enhanced the therapeutic effect.

Polyvalent spherical aptamer engineered macrophages: X-ray-actuated phenotypic transformation for tumor immunotherapy.

Spatiotemporally activatable immune cells are promising for tumor immunotherapy owing to their potential high specificity and low side effects. Herein, we developed an X-ray-induced phenotypic transformation (X-PT) strategy through macrophage engineering for safe and efficient tumor immunotherapy. Without complex genetic engineering, the cell membranes of M0-type macrophages were chemically engineered with AS1411 aptamer-based polyvalent spherical aptamer (PSA) via the combination of metabolic glycan labelling and bioorthogonal click reaction. Owing to the superior specificity, affinity and polyvalent binding effects of the high-density AS1411 aptamers, the engineered macrophages could easily recognize and adhere to tumor cells. With further X-ray irradiation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by the Au-based PSA could efficiently transform the accumulated macrophages in situ from biocompatible M0 into antitumoral M1 phenotype via activating the nuclear factor κB signaling pathway, thereby achieving tumor-specific killing. In vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed the high tumor recognition and X-ray-induced polarization effect of the engineered macrophages. Compared to natural macrophages, our engineered macrophages significantly inhibited tumor growth in mice even if the radiation dose was reduced by three-fold. We believe this X-PT strategy will open a new avenue for clinical immune cell-based therapy.

GSH-Responsive Nanoprodrug to Inhibit Glycolysis and Alleviate Immunosuppression for Cancer Therapy.

Blocking energy metabolism of cancer cells and simultaneously stimulating the immune system to perform immune attack are significant for cancer treatment. However, how to potently deliver different drugs with these functions remains a challenge. Herein, we synthesized a nanoprodrug formed by a F127-coated drug dimer to inhibit glycolysis of cancer cells and alleviate the immunosuppressive microenvironment. The dimer was delicately constructed to connect lonidamine (LND) and NLG919 by a disulfide bond which can be cleaved by excess GSH to release two drugs. LND can decrease the expression of hexokinase II and destroy mitochondria to restrain glycolysis for energy supply. NLG919 can reduce the accumulation of kynurenine and the number of regulatory T cells, thus alleviating the immunosuppressive microenvironment. Notably, the consumption of GSH by disulfide bond increased the intracellular oxidative stress and triggered immunogenic cell death of cancer cells. This strategy can offer more possibilities to explore dimeric prodrugs for synergistic cancer therapy.

ATP-triggered mitochondrial cascade reactions for cancer therapy with nanoscale zeolitic imidazole framework-90.

Goals: Chemotherapy, the most conventional modality for cancer therapy, usually brings serious side effects because of the low cancer-therapeutic specificity and bioavailability. It is of great significance for cancer treatment to develop new effective strategies to regulate biochemical reactions in organelles, enhance the specificity of chemotherapeutic drugs and reduce their side effects. Methods: We report herein a zeolitic imidazole framework-90 (ZIF-90) based nanoplatform, which was used to initiate a series of mitochondrial cascade reactions using ATP as a molecular switch for cancer therapy. The thioketal linked camptothecin (camptothecin prodrug, TK-CPT) and 2-Methoxyestradiol (2-ME) were encapsulated into the pores of ZIF-90 nanoparticles using a simple one-pot method, and the nanoplatform was finally coated with a layer of homologous cell membrane. Results: Mitochondrial ATP can efficiently degrade ZIF-90 and then release the loaded 2-ME and CPT prodrugs. 2-ME can inhibit the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), which induces the up-regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in situ. The thioketal linkers in CPT prodrug can respond to ROS, thereby achieving subsequent release of parent CPT drug. This cascade of reactions can lead to prolonged high oxidative stress and cause continuous cancer cell apoptosis, due to the increased ROS level and the liberation of CPT. Conclusion: We constructed an ATP-triggered strategy using nanoscale ZIF-90 to initiate mitochondrial cascade reactions for cancer therapy. The ZIF-90 based nanoplatform exhibited low cytotoxicity, good mitochondria-targeting ability, and excellent therapeutic effect. In vivo experiments demonstrated that the growth of tumor can be efficiently inhibited in a mouse model. This ATP-triggered strategy to induce mitochondrial biochemical reactions offers more possibilities for developing organelle-targeted therapeutic platforms.

A hybridization-based dual-colorimetric kit for circulating cancer miRNA detection.

A dual-colorimetric miRNA detection kit that can simultaneously detect two miRNAs with high sensitivity and selectivity is developed, and the data can be read by the naked eye easily. The kit is able to distinguish the patients from healthy people and achieve lung cancer diagnosis using clinical serum samples in a short time.

Covalent organic framework-engineered polydopamine nanoplatform for multimodal imaging-guided tumor photothermal-chemotherapy.

A covalent organic framework (COF)-engineered polydopamine core-shell nanoplatform (PDA@COF) was developed. The ultrasmall pores and abundant functional sites of the COF endowed the nanoplatform with enhanced drug loading capacity and diminished drug leakage effect. Multimodal imaging-guided photothermal chemo-synergistic tumor-targeted therapy was realized after rational functionalization. This work offers new insights for developing COF-based multifunctional theranostic systems.

A Protein-Binding Molecular Photothermal Agent for Tumor Ablation.

Photothermal therapy usually requires a high power density to activate photothermal agent for effective treatment, which inevitably leads to damage to normal tissues and inflammation in tumor tissues. Herein, we rationally design a protein-binding strategy to build a molecular photothermal agent for photothermal ablation of tumor. The synthesized photothermal agent can covalently bind to the thiol groups on the intracellular proteins. The heat generated by the photothermal agent directly destroyed the bioactive proteins in the cells, effectively reducing the heat loss and the molecular leakage. Under a low power density of 0.2 W cm-2 , the temperature produced by the photothermal agent was sufficient to induce apoptosis. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that the therapeutic effect of photothermal therapy can be efficiently improved with the protein-binding strategy.

Boosting the abscopal effect of radiotherapy: a smart antigen-capturing radiosensitizer to eradicate metastatic breast tumors.

A smart antigen-capturing radiosensitizer based on hollow mesoporous titanium dioxide (HTiO2) has been developed for metastatic breast tumor treatment.

A biomimetic MOF nanoreactor enables synergistic suppression of intracellular defense systems for augmented tumor ablation.

A homotypic cancer cell membrane camouflaged MOF-based nanoreactor with the photothermal-starvation effect has been developed for synergistic suppression of intracellular defensive systems for enhanced cancer treatment.

A gold-selenium-bonded nanoprobe for real-time in situ imaging of the upstream and downstream relationship between uPA and MMP-9 in cancer cells.

A novel Au-Se nanoprobe with remarkable anti-interference ability for glutathione was developed for real-time in situ monitoring of the upstream and downstream regulatory relationship between uPA and MMP-9 proteins in the pathway.

A Dual-Targeted Organic Photothermal Agent for Enhanced Photothermal Therapy.

The development of highly effective anticancer drugs that cause minimal damage to the surrounding normal tissues is a challenging topic in cancer therapy. Herein, we demonstrate a dual-targeted organic molecule that functions as a photothermal agent by actively targeting tumor tissue and mitochondria to selectively kill cancer cells. The synthesized photothermal agent exhibited high photothermal conversion efficiency, low cytotoxicity, and good biological compatibility. In vivo experiments showed an excellent tumor inhibitory effect of the dual-targeted photothermal agent.

A GSH-responsive nanophotosensitizer for efficient photodynamic therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising cancer treatment modality, which depends on the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by a photosensitizer to kill cancer cells. The lack of selectivity and the over-production of glutathione (GSH) in cancer cells are the two major challenges for efficient and safe cancer PDT because they can cause harm to normal tissues and eliminate ROS in cancer cells. Herein, we report a GSH-responsive nanophotosensitizer based on CoOOH nanosheets for PDT of cancer. The nanophotosensitizer shows negligible photo-toxicity toward normal cells because of the quenching effect between CoOOH and photosensitizer Ce6. In the presence of overexpressed GSH, Ce6 molecules can be released into cancer cells because of GSH induced degradation of CoOOH nanosheets. In vivo experiments demonstrated that the tumor growth was efficiently inhibited by the CoOOH-based PDT strategy. The current nanophotosensitizer represents a promising smart platform to synergistically improve the therapeutic index and safety of PDT.