A multifunctional cascade gas-nanoreactor with MnO2 as a gatekeeper to enhance starvation therapy and provoke antitumor immune response

Abstract

Glucose oxidase (GOx)-mediated starvation therapy is an effective tumor treatment that blocks energy and activates the immune response. However, the insufficient tumor immunogenicity and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) limited its therapeutic efficacy. To address this, we have designed a multifunctional cascade gas-nanoreactor with a MnO₂ coating, which serves as an out gatekeeper to encapsulate both GOx and a carbon monoxide (CO) donor (denoted as GCM). Due to the protective effect of MnO₂ coating, GCM maintains better stability in normal physiological environments, enhancing the catalytic activity of GOx and minimizing toxic side effects. Upon accumulation in the tumor, the degradation of MnO₂ coating exposes the GOx enzyme, thereby initiating a cascade catalysis reaction to generate hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and release CO in the hypoxic conditions. Additionally, the released Mn²⁺ reacts with H₂O₂ to generate toxic hydroxyl radical (•OH) as chemodynamic therapy (CDT). The synergistic treatments of starvation therapy, CO gas therapy and CDT effectively kill cancer cells and amplify immunogenic cell death (ICD), maturing DC cells and activating anti-tumor immune response. Furthermore, the released CO increases M1 macrophages infiltration and reduces myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) infiltration, thus reversing the immunosuppressive TME. This multifunctional gas-nanoreactor provides a strategy for CO gas generation to trigger a robust anti-tumor immune response and has the potential for clinical application in cancer immunotherapy.

Statement of significance

A multifunctional cascade gas-nanoreactor with a MnO₂ gatekeeper was developed to perform synergistic treatments involving starvation therapy, CO gas therapy and chemodynamic therapy (CDT) for tumor elimination. The MnO₂ gatekeeper enhanced the catalytic activity of GOx within the nanoreactor by generating oxygen, thereby minimizing toxic side effects after intravenous injection. The gas-nanoreactor amplified ICD through synergistic treatments to mature DC cells and activate anti-tumor immune response. Furthermore, the released CO could reverse the immunosuppression of the TME to enhance cancer immunotherapy. The combination strategy utilizing the gas-nanoreactor demonstrates clinical potential for facilitating cancer immunotherapy.