An Alternative Thinking in Tumor Therapeutics: Living Yeast Armored with Silicate.

A hybrid platform, constructed via the surface "armoring" of living yeasts by a manganese silicate compound (MS@Yeast), is investigated for combinational cancer treatment. The intrinsic characteristics of living yeasts, in both acidophilic and anaerobic conditions, empower the hybrid platform with activated selected colonization in tumors. While silicate particles are delivered in a targeting manner, yeast fermentation occurs at the cancerous region, inducing both alcohol and CO2. The excessive content of alcohol causes the hemangiectasis of tumor tissue, facilitating the penetration of therapeutics into central tumors and subsequent endocytosis. The catalytic Mn2+ ions, released from silicate particles, react with CO2 to induce forceful oxidative stress in tumor cells, ablating the primary tumors. More interestingly, the debris of sacrificed tumor cells and yeasts triggers considerable antitumor immune responses, rejecting both rechallenged and metastatic tumors. The integration of biologically active microorganisms and functional materials, illustrated in this study, provides distinctive perspectives in the exploration of potential therapeutics for tackling cancer.

Integration of Silica Nanorattles with Manganese-Doped In2S3/InOOH to Enable Ultrasound-Mediated Tumor Theranostics.

As a result of their radiation-free nature and deep-penetration ability, tumor theranostics mediated by ultrasound have become increasingly recognized as a modality with high potential for translation into clinical cancer treatment. The effective integration of ultrasound imaging and sonodynamic therapy (SDT) into one nanoplatform remains an enormous challenge yet to be fully resolved. Here, a novel theranostic system, consisting of rattle-type SiO2 (r-SiO2) loaded with Mn-doped In2S3/InOOH (SMISO), was designed and synthesized to enable an improved ultrasound imaging-guided therapy. With Mn-doped In2S3/InOOH (MISO) and a heterojunction structure, this novel sonosensitizer facilitates the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) for SDT. By coupling interfaces between the shell and core in rattle-type SiO2, multiple reflections/scattering are generated, while MISO has high acoustic impedance. By integrating r-SiO2 and MISO, the SMISO composite nanoparticles (NPs) increase the acoustic reflection and provide enhanced contrast for ultrasound imaging. Through the effective accumulation in tumors, which was monitored by B-mode ultrasound imaging in vivo, SMISO composite NPs effectively inhibited tumor growth without adverse side effects under ultrasound irradiation treatment. This work therefore provides a new approach to integrate a novel gas-free ultrasound contrast agent and a semiconductor sonosensitizer for cancer theranostics.

Hierarchical nanoclusters with programmed disassembly for mitochondria-targeted tumor therapy with MR imaging.

Mitochondria are crucial metabolic organelles involved in tumorigenesis and tumor progression, and the induction of abnormal mitochondria metabolism is recognized as a strategy with strong potential for the exploration of advanced tumor therapeutics. Herein, hierarchical manganese silicate nanoclusters modified with triphenylphosphonium (MSNAs-TPP) were designed and synthesized for mitochondria-targeted tumor theranostics. The as-prepared MSNAs-TPP retains considerable dimensional and structural stability in the neutral physiological environment, favoring its accumulation at the tumor site. More interestingly, MSNAs-TPP may disassemble in a responsive manner to an acidic tumor microenvironment into ultrasmall manganese silicate nanocapsules (∼6 nm), enabling deep tumor penetration and mitochondria targeting. When reaching the mitochondria, the nanocapsules effectively deplete mitochondrial glutathione (GSH), and simultaneously release catalytic Mn2+ ions to induce amplified oxidative stress in the structure with the enriched CO2 and H2O2 from mitochondria metabolism. As a result, MSNAs-TPP presents considerable antitumor effect without a clear side effect, both in vitro and in vivo. The study may provide an alternative concept in the development of intelligent nanotherapeutics for tumor treatment with high efficacy.

α-Fe2O3@Pt heterostructure particles to enable sonodynamic therapy with self-supplied O2 and imaging-guidance.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT), presenting spatial and temporal control of ROS generation triggered by ultrasound field, has attracted considerable attention in tumor treatment. However, its therapeutic efficacy is severely hindered by the intrinsic hypoxia of solid tumor and the lack of smart design in material band structure. Here in study, fine α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles armored with Pt nanocrystals (α-Fe2O3@Pt) was investigated as an alternative SDT agent with ingenious bandgap and structural design. The Schottky barrier, due to its unique heterostructure, suppresses the recombination of sono-induced electrons and holes, enabling superior ROS generation. More importantly, the composite nanoparticles may effectively trigger a reoxygenation phenomenon to supply sufficient content of oxygen, favoring the ROS induction under the hypoxic condition and its extra role played for ultrasound imaging. In consequence, α-Fe2O3@Pt appears to enable effective tumor inhibition with imaging guidance, both in vitro and in vivo. This study has therefore demonstrated a highly potential platform for ultrasound-driven tumor theranostic, which may spark a series of further explorations in therapeutic systems with more rational material design.

ZnS@BSA Nanoclusters Potentiate Efficacy of Cancer Immunotherapy.

Although immunotherapy such as immune checkpoint inhibitors has shown promising efficacy in cancer treatment, the responsiveness among patients is relatively limited. Activation of the cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase/interferon gene stimulator (cGAS/STING) signaling pathway to upregulate innate immunity has become an emerging strategy for enhancing tumor immunotherapy. Herein, ZnS@BSA (bovine serum albumin) nanoclusters synthesized via a self-assembly approach are reported, where the released zinc ions under acidic tumor microenvironment significantly enhance cGAS/STING signals. Meanwhile, intracellular zinc ions can produce reactive oxygen species, which is further facilitated by the generated H2 S gas from ZnS@BSA via specifically inhibiting catalase in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. It is found that the nanoclusters activate the cGAS/STING signals in mice, which promotes the infiltration of CD8+ T cells at the tumor site and cross-presentation of dendritic cells, leading to an improved immunotherapy efficacy against hepatocellular carcinoma.

FeS@BSA Nanoclusters to Enable H2S-Amplified ROS-Based Therapy with MRI Guidance.

Therapeutic systems to induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) have received tremendous success in the research of tumor theranostics, but suffered daunting challenges in limited efficacy originating from low presence of reactants and reaction kinetics within cancer cells. Here, ferrous sulfide-embedded bovine serum albumin (FeS@BSA) nanoclusters, in an amorphous nature, are designed and synthesized via a self-assembly approach. In acidic conditions, the nanoclusters degrade and simultaneously release H2S gas and Fe2+ ions. The in vitro study using Huh7 cancer cells reveals that Fe2+ released from FeS@BSA nanoclusters induces the toxic hydroxyl radical (·OH) effectively via the Fenton reaction. More interestingly, H2S gas released intracellularly presents the specific suppression effect to catalase activity of cancer cells, resulting in the promoted presence of H2O2 that facilitates the Fenton reaction of Fe2+ and consequently promotes ROS induction within the cells remarkably. After intravenous administration, the nanoclusters accumulate in the tumors of mice via the enhanced permeability and retention effect and present strong magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signals. The findings confirm this therapeutic system can enable superior anti-tumor performance with MRI guidance and negligible side effects. This study, therefore, offers an alternative gas-amplified ROS-based therapeutic platform for synergetic tumor treatment.

Gold nanorod-assembled ZnGa2O4:Cr nanofibers for LED-amplified gene silencing in cancer cells.

Nanoparticles are now commonly used as non-viral gene vectors for RNA interference (RNAi) in cancer therapy but suffer from low targeting efficiency in situ. Meanwhile, localized drug delivery systems do not offer the effective capability for intracellular gene transportation. We describe here the design and synthesis of a localized therapeutic system, consisting of gold nanorods (Au NRs) loaded with hTERT siRNA assembled on the surface of ZnGa2O4:Cr (ZGOC) nanofibers. This composite system offers the potential for a LED-induced mild photothermal effect which enhances the phagocytosis of Au NRs carrying siRNA and the subsequent release of siRNA in the cytoplasm. Both phenomena amplify the gene silencing effect and consequently offer the potential for a superior therapeutic outcome.

Production of a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensor membrane for microRNA detection.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a key role in regulating gene expression but can be associated with abnormalities linked to carcinogenesis and tumor progression. Hence there is increasing interest in developing methods to detect these non-coding RNA molecules in the human circulation system. Here, a novel FRET miRNA-195 targeting biosensor, based on silica nanofibers incorporated with rare earth-doped calcium fluoride particles (CaF2:Yb,Ho@SiO2) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), is reported. The formation of a sandwich structure, as a result of co-hybridization of the target miRNA which is captured by oligonucleotides conjugated at the surface of CaF2:Yb,Ho@SiO2 fibers and AuNPs, brings the nanofibers and AuNPs in close proximity and triggers the FRET effect. The intensity ratio of green to red emission, I541/I650, was found to decrease linearly upon increasing the concentration of the target miRNA and this can be utilized as a standard curve for quantitative determination of miRNA concentration. This assay offers a simple and convenient method for miRNA quantification, with the potential for rapid and early clinical diagnosis of diseases such as breast cancer.