Spatial‐Constraint Modulation of Intra/Extracellular Reactive Oxygen Species by Adaptive Hybrid Materials for Boosting Pyroptosis and Combined Immunotherapy of Breast Tumor
Pyroptosis-immunotherapy has potential for triple-negative breast cancer treatment, but its efficacy is limited by insufficient pyroptosis activation and the need for phased, balanced, and spatially controlled activation of active species during long-term treatment. To reconcile intracellular/extracellular demands in tumor ablation, a nanoparticle-hydrogel hybrid enabling spatiotemporal reactive oxygen species (ROS) modulation is engineered. An open-shell sonosensitizer with unpaired electrons in its molecular orbitals is prepared by chelating Cu<sup>2</sup>⁺ with TCPP. These sonosensitizers are undergoing bovine serum albumin mediated biomineralization to form calcium phosphate particles and are incorporated into an injectable hydrogel through Schiff base crosslinking between dopamine-functionalized oxidized hyaluronic acid and gallic acid-modified chitosan. After intratumoral injection, nanoparticles endocytosed into tumor cells undergo acidic degradation, releasing calcium ions and GSH-activatable sonosensitizers. Calcium overload synergizes with ultrasound-mediated oxidative stress to induce mitochondrial damage and pyroptosis, while adhesive hydrogels retained in the extracellular matrix control excessive secondary ROS levels to protect oxidation-sensitive entities. This dual-action mechanism enhances the overall therapeutic effect by combining immediate tumor killing with long-term immune activation. This study provides a new route to hybrid material design, addressing the conflicting demands of short-term tumor ablation and long-term immune activation, overcoming the limitations of current pyroptosis-based immunotherapies.
Authors
- Jixi Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3460-0867)
- Jing Zhu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0019-0647)
- Daqing Xia
- Kaiyong Cai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9029-680X)
- Yunyun Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1536-1488)
- Luoli Zhou
- Sheng Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9624-5381)
- Fan Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8582-4911)
- Lin Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0426-6546)
- Yijing Xu
Institutions
- Chongqing University (CN)
- The Affiliated Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University (CN)
- Chongqing Medical University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Healthcare Materials
- Published
- 2025-05-28
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.202500371
- Citations
- 5
- Primary Topic
- Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.37
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Chongqing University
- Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing
- Research and Innovation Foundation