Cuproptosis is a newly discovered form of programmed cell death significantly depending on the transport efficacy of copper (Cu) ionophores. However, existing Cu ionophores, primarily small molecules with a short blood half‐life, face challenges in transporting enough amounts of Cu ions into tumor cells. This work describes the construction of carrier‐free nanoparticles (Ce6@Cu NPs), which self‐assembled by the coordination of Cu 2+ with the sonosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6), facilitating sonodynamic‐triggered combination of cuproptosis and ferroptosis. Ce6@Cu NPs internalized by U87MG cells induce a sonodynamic effect and glutathione (GSH) depletion capability, promoting lipid peroxidation and eventually inducing ferroptosis. Furthermore, Cu + concentration in tumor cells significantly increases as Cu 2+ reacts with reductive GSH, resulting in the downregulation of ferredoxin‐1 and lipoyl synthase. This induces the oligomerization of lipoylated dihydrolipoamide S‐acetyltransferase, causing proteotoxic stress and irreversible cuproptosis. Ce6@Cu NPs possess a satisfactory ability to penetrate the blood‐brain barrier, resulting in significant accumulation in orthotopic U87MG‐Luc glioblastoma. The sonodynamic‐triggered combination of ferroptosis and cuproptosis in the tumor by Ce6@Cu NPs is evidenced both in vitro and in vivo with minimal side effects. This work represents a promising tumor therapeutic strategy combining ferroptosis and cuproptosis, potentially inspiring further research in developing logical and effective cancer therapies based on cuproptosis.
23 May 2023 in Angewandte Chemie International Edition
Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) has emerged as a promising noninvasive approach for tumor therapy. However, the effectiveness of traditional inorganic semiconductor sonosensitizers is hindered by rapid electron (e − ) and hole (h + ) recombination under ultrasonic (US) stimulation, as well as the hypoxic and reductive conditions of tumor microenvironment (TME), which limit the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Herein, a ruthenium (Ru) single‐atom nanozyme‐driven superimposition‐enhanced titanium dioxide‐based sonosensitizer (Ru/TiO 2‐x SAE) is presented that features sufficient oxygen vacancies and high e − /h + separation efficiency. Through synchrotron radiation‐based X‐ray absorption spectroscopy and extended X‐ray absorption fine structure analysis it is confirmed that oxygen vacancies in TiO 2‐x nanoparticles promote the immobilization of single‐atomic Ru, forming Ru‐O₄ active sites. Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that oxygen vacancies alter the electronic structure of nanosensitizer, enhanced e − /h + separation, increasing oxygen adsorption, and accelerating reaction kinetics under US stimulation, ultimately improving ROS production. Moreover, Ru/TiO 2‐x SAE boosts sonodynamic efficacy by mitigating the hypoxic and reductive TME. This is attributed to its catalase‐ and glutathione peroxidase 4‐like activities, which facilitate the generation of ROS and trigger lipid peroxidation‐mediated ferroptosis. These findings highlight the innovative role of single‐atom Ru in optimizing sonosensitizers for SDT‐induced ferroptosis, demonstrating its potential for advancing cancer therapy.