Smart Metabolism Nanovalve Reprograms Cancer Energy Homeostasis for Maximizing Photometabolism Therapy

Mito-Specific Nutri-Hijacker Synergizing Mitochondrial Metabolism and Glycolysis Intervention for Enhanced Antitumor Bioenergetic Therapy

Metabolic rewiring, a dynamic metabolic phenotype switch, confers that tumors exist and proliferate after fitness (or preadaptation) in harsh environmental conditions. Glycolysis deprivation was considered to be a tumor's metabolic Achilles heel. However, metabolic configuration can flexibly retune the mitochondrial metabolic ability when glycolysis is scared, potentially resulting in more aggressive clones. To address the challenge of mitochondrial reprogramming, an antiglycolytic nanoparticle (GRPP NP) containing a novel mitochondrial-targeted reactive oxygen species (ROS) generator (diIR780) was prepared to hijack glucose and regulate mitochondria, thus completely eliminating tumorigenic energy sources. In this process, GRPP NPs@diIR780 can catalyze endogenous glucose, leading to significantly suppressed glycolysis. Moreover, diIR780 can be released and selectively accumulated around mitochondria to generate toxic ROS. These combined effects, in turn, can hamper mitochondrial metabolism pathways, which are crucial for driving tumor progression. This synchronous intervention strategy enables utter devastation of metabolic rewiring, providing a promising regiment to eradicate tumor lesions without recurrence.

Recent Advances in Reprogramming Strategy of Tumor Microenvironment for Rejuvenating Photosensitizers-Mediated Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has recently been considered a potential tumor therapy due to its time-space specificity and non-invasive advantages. PDT can not only directly kill tumor cells by using cytotoxic reactive oxygen species but also induce an anti-tumor immune response by causing immunogenic cell death of tumor cells. Although it exhibits a promising prospect in treating tumors, there are still many problems to be solved in its practical application. Tumor hypoxia and immunosuppressive microenvironment seriously affect the efficacy of PDT. The hypoxic and immunosuppressive microenvironment is mainly due to the abnormal vascular matrix around the tumor, its abnormal metabolism, and the influence of various immunosuppressive-related cells and their expressed molecules. Thus, reprogramming the tumor microenvironment (TME) is of great significance for rejuvenating PDT. This article reviews the latest strategies for rejuvenating PDT, from regulating tumor vascular matrix, interfering with tumor cell metabolism, and reprogramming immunosuppressive related cells and factors to reverse tumor hypoxia and immunosuppressive microenvironment. These strategies provide valuable information for a better understanding of the significance of TME in PDT and also guide the development of the next-generation multifunctional nanoplatforms for PDT.

A Bioartificial Pancreas with "Immune Stealth" and Continuous Oxygen Supply for Islet Transplantation

Transplantation of microencapsulated islet cells remains a promising strategy for the normalization of glucose metabolism control in type 1 diabetes mellitus. However, vigorous host immunologic rejection, fibrotic overgrowth around the microcapsules, and poor oxygen supply often lead to graft failure. Herein, a bioartificial pancreas is constructed, which incorporates the "stealth effect" based on polyethylene glycol copolymers and the high oxygen-carrying performance of fluorinated nanoparticles. Polycationic poly(l-lysine)-grafted-poly(ethylene glycol) is successfully coated on the surface of alginate microcapsules through electrostatic interaction, which can not only resist fibrinogen adhesion and avoid excessive fibrosis around the microcapsules but also isolate the host immune system from attacking, achieving a "stealth effect" of microencapsulated islet cells. Furthermore, the coloading of fluoride-based O2 nanocarriers gives them enhanced oxygen-carrying and continuous oxygen supply capabilities, thereby effectively prolonging the survival of islet cells. The intracapsular islet cells still display similar cell viability and almost normal insulin secretion function even in long-term culture under hypoxic conditions. Collectively, here a new approach is opened for microencapsulated islets to efficiently evade host immune attack and improve oxygen supply and a promising strategy is provided for islet transplantation in type 1 diabetes mellitus.