Water-Dispersible MXene Governs Glycolysis for Cancer Synergistic Therapy

Abstract

Targeted delivery of glucose oxidase (GOx) using MXene remains a great challenge due to its poor dispersion and susceptibility to oxidation, and the hypoxia and high glutathione (GSH) contents make the situation even more worrying. Herein, a bovine serum albumin-mediated non-chemical modification strategy is developed, endowing titanium carbide MXene with long-time water-dispersion and further integrating it as a glycolysis-controllable therapy system without any chemotherapeutic agents. The system also constructs an effective O₂ cycling and GSH degradation pathway, which fundamentally adjusts the tumor microenvironment and greatly elevates both in vivo and in vitro therapy effects. Reactive oxygen species are also generated and disrupt the balance of oxidative stress. Moreover, the reduced efficiency of mitochondrial energy production significantly inhibits the level of glycolysis and hinders energy supply. The study presents an effective cancer treatment combining starvation/photothermal therapy, which has superior anti-cancer effects due to the dual effects of reducing glucose levels and diminishing cellular energy production capacity.