pH/GSH dual-responsive supramolecular nanomedicine for hypoxia-activated combination therapy

Abstract

Moderate oxygen (O₂) supply and uneven distribution of oxygen at the tumor site usually hinder the therapeutic efficacy of hypoxia-activated prodrugs. In this report, we designed a ferrocene-containing supramolecular nanomedicine (PFC/GOD–TPZ) with the PEG corona and disulfide-bond cross-linked core to co-encapsulate 4-di-N-oxide tirapazamine (TPZ) and glucose oxidase (GOD). The PEG corona of PFC/GOD–TPZ could be weakly acidic tumor pH-responsively detached for an enhanced cellular internalization, while the disulfide-bond cross-linked core could be cleavaged by intracellular glutathione (GSH) to present a GSH-triggered drug-release behavior. Subsequently, the cascade reactions, including catalytic reactions among the released GOD, glucose, and O₂ to generate H₂O₂ and the subsequent Fenton reaction between ferrocene and H₂O₂, occurred. With the depletion of O₂, the non-toxic TPZ was activated and converted into the cytotoxic therapeutic agent benzotriazinyl (BTZ) radical under the exacerbated hypoxic microenvironment. Collectively, the PFC/GOD–TPZ provides a promising strategy for effective combination therapy of GOD-mediated starvation therapy, chemodynamic therapy (CDT), and hypoxia-activated chemotherapy (CT).