Remodeling Tumor Metabolism via Self‐Amplifying Energy‐Depleting Nanocomplexes for Effective Photodynamic‐Immunotherapy

Abstract The abnormal metabolism of tumor cells fulfills their high energy demands for rapid growth while simultaneously reshaping the tumor microenvironment (TME), which suppresses immune cell function and facilitates immune evasion. Herein, a peptide‐based nanocomplex (DCK@siGLUT1) that synergizes with photodynamic therapy (PDT) to disrupt tumor cell energy metabolism is developed. DCK@siGLUT1, utilizing a mitochondria‐targeting peptide (dKLA) selectively accumulates in mitochondria, where it impairs mitochondrial membrane integrity, disrupts energy metabolism, and induces apoptosis. Upon apoptosis, activated caspase‐3 (Casp3) cleaves DCK@siGLUT1, releasing siGLUT1 to silence glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) expression, which further inhibits glucose uptake and intensifies metabolic collapse, thereby amplifying apoptotic effects. Moreover, Ce6, conjugated to dKLA, is co‐delivered to the mitochondria and, upon light activation, exacerbates mitochondrial damage and metabolic disruption. These combined mechanisms intensify oxidative stress and apoptosis, further activate Casp3, and promote DCK@siGLUT1 cleavage, thereby driving a self‐amplifying tumoricidal cascade. Furthermore, DCK@siGLUT1 effectively induces immunogenic cell death (ICD), triggers antitumor immune responses, and inhibits both primary and distant tumor growth and metastasis. This strategy offers a novel approach for targeting tumor energy metabolism in antitumor immunotherapy.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2025-02-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202425831
Citations
7
Primary Topic
Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
4.72

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Remodeling Tumor Metabolism via Self‐Amplifying Energy‐Depleting Nanocomplexes for Effective Photodynamic‐Immunotherapy

Lin Mei, Hanjie Zhang, Meitong Ou, Zhuo Mao et al.
7 citations
Advanced Functional Materials
Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
4.72
article

Remodeling Tumor Metabolism via Self‐Amplifying Energy‐Depleting Nanocomplexes for Effective Photodynamic‐Immunotherapy

Lin Mei, Hanjie Zhang, Meitong Ou, Zhuo Mao, Wen Li, Yu Liu, Wen Zhang, Juntao Xie, Yushi Zhang, Yiqiu Fu, Jiahui Cao, Rourou Miao, Xinyi Wang
article en
7 citations

Abstract

Abstract The abnormal metabolism of tumor cells fulfills their high energy demands for rapid growth while simultaneously reshaping the tumor microenvironment (TME), which suppresses immune cell function and facilitates immune evasion. Herein, a peptide‐based nanocomplex (DCK@siGLUT1) that synergizes with photodynamic therapy (PDT) to disrupt tumor cell energy metabolism is developed. DCK@siGLUT1, utilizing a mitochondria‐targeting peptide (dKLA) selectively accumulates in mitochondria, where it impairs mitochondrial membrane integrity, disrupts energy metabolism, and induces apoptosis. Upon apoptosis, activated caspase‐3 (Casp3) cleaves DCK@siGLUT1, releasing siGLUT1 to silence glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) expression, which further inhibits glucose uptake and intensifies metabolic collapse, thereby amplifying apoptotic effects. Moreover, Ce6, conjugated to dKLA, is co‐delivered to the mitochondria and, upon light activation, exacerbates mitochondrial damage and metabolic disruption. These combined mechanisms intensify oxidative stress and apoptosis, further activate Casp3, and promote DCK@siGLUT1 cleavage, thereby driving a self‐amplifying tumoricidal cascade. Furthermore, DCK@siGLUT1 effectively induces immunogenic cell death (ICD), triggers antitumor immune responses, and inhibits both primary and distant tumor growth and metastasis. This strategy offers a novel approach for targeting tumor energy metabolism in antitumor immunotherapy.

Advanced Functional MaterialsVol. 35(28)
Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin City, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
Openalex Percentile: Top 6%
Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
4.72
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.