Syphilis mimetic nanoparticles for cuproptosis-based synergistic cancer therapy via reprogramming copper metabolism

Int J Pharm. 2023 Jun 10:640:123025. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.123025. Epub 2023 May 8.

Abstract

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is one of the most devastating type of human lung cancer and has a high propensity to metastasize into the brain. Cuproptosis recently has been defined as a copper dependent cell death, offers a new lens to develop the novel copper-based nanostructure inducing cuproptosis for suppressing tumor growth and metastasis. Here, we report a syphilis mimetic TP0751-peptide decorated stem cell membrane-coated copper-based metal organic framework (Cu-MOF) nanodelivery system for SCLC brain metastasis. The Cu-MOF is employed as nanocarrier to support siRNA with high loading efficiency, and its pH sensitivity facilitates endosomal disruption upon cellular uptake. Furthermore, the cell membrane coating Cu-MOF presents a good biocompatibility, high BBB transcytosis, and specific uptake by tumor cells within the brain. In vitro and in vivo trials have shown that TP-M-Cu-MOF/siATP7a exhibited high silencing efficiency against target gene, specifically blocked copper trafficking, increased copper intake, triggered cuproptosis, and improved therapeutic efficacy in SCLC brain metastasis tumor-bearing mice. Overall, the biomimetic nanodelivery platform presented here further offers a promising way of orchestrating gene therapy to target copper-dependent signalling for reprogramming copper metabolism and cuproptosis-based synergistic therapy in mice bearing brain metastases.

Keywords: Brain targeted therapy; Cuproptosis; Metal-organic framework; SCLC brain metastasis; siATP7a.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • Biomimetics
  • Brain Neoplasms*
  • Copper
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Nanoparticles*
  • Syphilis*

Substances

  • Copper