Self-assembly of bortezomib nanofibers for solid tumor and bone metastasis therapy

To overcome challenges including insufficient drug loading capacity, limited targeting accuracy, and the complex preparation of conventional nanomedicine, self-assembled nanomaterials have emerged as a viable solution. To explore the peptide self-assembly theory and overcome limitations, this study used bortezomib (BTZ) as the base material, and a novel peptide self-assembly strategy utilizing Zn(II) coordination was employed to prepare cancer cell-targeting nanofiber drugs (cRGD-BTZNDs). The therapeutic efficacy was evaluated in different types of tumors. The results demonstrated that cRGD-BTZNDs effectively entered cancer cells and exhibited enhanced cytotoxic effects against cancer cells compared to BTZ. Moreover, cRGD-BTZNDs exhibited excellent therapeutic efficacy against solid tumors, significantly inhibiting 4 T1 tumor growth while reducing biological toxicity. Additionally, in the treatment of bone metastases, cRGD-BTZNDs demonstrated excellent therapeutic potency, effectively alleviating bone damage in mice with high biocompatibility. This study not only self-assembled nanomaterials with great potential in cancer therapy, but also affirmed the correctness and universality of the Zn(II) coordination peptide self-assembly theory, providing a theoretical basis for the improvement of peptide-based nanomedicine.