{"title":"Functional nanozyme system for synergistic tumor immunotherapy via cuproptosis and ferroptosis activation.","authors":"Lina Gu, Ying Sun, Tingjie Bai, Sijie Shao, Shumin Tang, Panpan Xue, Wanlin Cai, Xian Qin, Xuemei Zeng, Shuangqian Yan","doi":"10.1186/s12951-025-03284-3","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Elevated copper levels induce tumor cuproptosis and ferroptosis, leading to immunogenic cell death and subsequent antitumor immune responses. However, dysregulated copper metabolism in tumor cells maintains homeostatic copper balance, while hypoxic microenvironments hinder therapeutic efficacy. In this study, we present a nanozyme system, termed CussOMEp, comprising a copper-based nanovector (CussNV) that is PEGylated and loaded with omeprazole, a copper transporter inhibitor, to enhance tumor synergistic immunotherapy by promoting cuproptosis and ferroptosis. CussNV is assembled from dithiodiglycolic acid and copper ions, exhibiting peroxidase, glutathione oxidase, and catalase-like activities, along with responsive degradability. This nanozyme alleviates tumor hypoxia by producing oxygen, induces ferroptosis through the generation of lethal hydroxyl radicals, and depletes glutathione. Additionally, omeprazole increases cellular copper concentration and oxidative stress by inhibiting the intracellular copper-transporting ATPase 1 (ATP7A), enhancing lipoylated protein oligomerization and cuproptosis. In a breast tumor mouse model, CussOMEp elicits robust antitumor immune responses, including dendritic cell maturation and T cell proliferation. When combined with PD-1 antibodies (αPD-1), CussOMEp significantly inhibits tumor metastasis in bilateral and lung metastatic models. This work presents a functional nanozyme system as a promising strategy for synergistic tumor immunotherapy leveraging ferroptosis and cuproptosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":16383,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Nanobiotechnology","volume":"23 1","pages":"212"},"PeriodicalIF":10.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11909888/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Nanobiotechnology","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-025-03284-3","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BIOTECHNOLOGY & APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Elevated copper levels induce tumor cuproptosis and ferroptosis, leading to immunogenic cell death and subsequent antitumor immune responses. However, dysregulated copper metabolism in tumor cells maintains homeostatic copper balance, while hypoxic microenvironments hinder therapeutic efficacy. In this study, we present a nanozyme system, termed CussOMEp, comprising a copper-based nanovector (CussNV) that is PEGylated and loaded with omeprazole, a copper transporter inhibitor, to enhance tumor synergistic immunotherapy by promoting cuproptosis and ferroptosis. CussNV is assembled from dithiodiglycolic acid and copper ions, exhibiting peroxidase, glutathione oxidase, and catalase-like activities, along with responsive degradability. This nanozyme alleviates tumor hypoxia by producing oxygen, induces ferroptosis through the generation of lethal hydroxyl radicals, and depletes glutathione. Additionally, omeprazole increases cellular copper concentration and oxidative stress by inhibiting the intracellular copper-transporting ATPase 1 (ATP7A), enhancing lipoylated protein oligomerization and cuproptosis. In a breast tumor mouse model, CussOMEp elicits robust antitumor immune responses, including dendritic cell maturation and T cell proliferation. When combined with PD-1 antibodies (αPD-1), CussOMEp significantly inhibits tumor metastasis in bilateral and lung metastatic models. This work presents a functional nanozyme system as a promising strategy for synergistic tumor immunotherapy leveraging ferroptosis and cuproptosis.
期刊介绍:
Journal of Nanobiotechnology is an open access peer-reviewed journal communicating scientific and technological advances in the fields of medicine and biology, with an emphasis in their interface with nanoscale sciences. The journal provides biomedical scientists and the international biotechnology business community with the latest developments in the growing field of Nanobiotechnology.