A cascade nanoplatform for the regulation of the tumor microenvironment and combined cancer therapy

Abstract

Recently, disulfiram (DSF), an anti-alcoholism drug, has attracted increasing biomedical interest due to its anticancer effects. However, the anticancer activity of DSF is Cu(II)-dependent and it is extremely unstable, which severely hinders its clinical translation. Herein, we report the fabrication of a multifunctional nanoplatform (MCDGF) that can improve the stability of diethyldithiocarbamate (DTC), a main metabolite of DSF, by modifying the aryl boronic ester group to form a prodrug (DQ), and also realize the in situ generation of Cu(DTC)₂, which relies on a cascade reaction. The delivered Cu/DQ induces immunogenic cell death (ICD) and powerfully enhances immune responses of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and the infiltration of dendritic cells as well as T cells. Furthermore, the grafted glucose oxidase (GOx) decomposes glucose, thus “starving” the cancer cells and providing H₂O₂ for the production of Cu(DTC)₂. More importantly, H₂O₂ significantly promotes the polarization of macrophages to the anti-tumor subtype. The nano-carrier “mesoporous polydopamine (MPDA)” also displays a good photothermal therapeutic effect. The nanoplatform-integrated chemotherapy, starvation therapy, photothermal therapy, and immunotherapy synergistically stimulated CTL activation and M1 macrophage polarization. Taken together, the as-prepared nanoplatform could regulate the tumor immune microenvironment and eliminate cancer with combined cancer therapy, which will offer a promising strategy for cancer treatment and promote the clinical application of DSF in breast cancer.