Dynamic Shielding of Arsenic‐loaded Transferrin with Calcium Manganese Carbonate Potentiates Antitumor Effects via Self‐enhanced Synergistic Therapy

Arsenic trioxide is a frontline drug for leukemia treatment; however, its successful application in solid tumors has not yet been fully achieved. Transferrin is an endogenous protein containing iron-binding sites that can be used for loading arsenic for targeted delivery to solid tumors. However, the nonspecific expression of the transferrin receptor greatly limits transferrin-based nanomedicines. Herein, the dynamic shielding of arsenic-loaded transferrin with calcium manganese carbonate is proposed to potentiate strong antitumor effects via self-enhanced synergistic therapy. The nanocloak enhances tumor accumulation and realizes responsive release in an acidic tumor microenvironment. The re-exposed arsenic-loaded transferrin penetrates deep into the tumor, binds specifically to the receptor, and exerts cytotoxicity via chemotherapy. Along with this process, the protein levels of NOX4, which is responsible for H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> production, are upregulated. This biological effect facilitates self-enhanced chemodynamic therapy and the co-loaded glucose oxidase further ensures the initiation of this reaction. The released manganese ions catalyze the conversion of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> into hydroxyl radicals and effectively activate the cGAS-STING signaling pathway for tumor inhibition. Collectively, these findings reveal the potent antitumor effects of the biomineralized nanomedicine and pave the way for translating arsenic into solid tumor therapy via targeted delivery and synergistic therapy.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Small Methods
Published
2025-06-18
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/smtd.202500665
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.67

Funders

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

Dynamic Shielding of Arsenic‐loaded Transferrin with Calcium Manganese Carbonate Potentiates Antitumor Effects via Self‐enhanced Synergistic Therapy

Zhaowei Li, Fengying Shao, Haina Tian, Xiaolu Li et al.
1 citations
Small Methods
Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
0.67
article

Dynamic Shielding of Arsenic‐loaded Transferrin with Calcium Manganese Carbonate Potentiates Antitumor Effects via Self‐enhanced Synergistic Therapy

Zhaowei Li, Fengying Shao, Haina Tian, Xiaolu Li, Changlong Wang, Yanwei Zhang, Xiaoyang Gao
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Arsenic trioxide is a frontline drug for leukemia treatment; however, its successful application in solid tumors has not yet been fully achieved. Transferrin is an endogenous protein containing iron-binding sites that can be used for loading arsenic for targeted delivery to solid tumors. However, the nonspecific expression of the transferrin receptor greatly limits transferrin-based nanomedicines. Herein, the dynamic shielding of arsenic-loaded transferrin with calcium manganese carbonate is proposed to potentiate strong antitumor effects via self-enhanced synergistic therapy. The nanocloak enhances tumor accumulation and realizes responsive release in an acidic tumor microenvironment. The re-exposed arsenic-loaded transferrin penetrates deep into the tumor, binds specifically to the receptor, and exerts cytotoxicity via chemotherapy. Along with this process, the protein levels of NOX4, which is responsible for H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> production, are upregulated. This biological effect facilitates self-enhanced chemodynamic therapy and the co-loaded glucose oxidase further ensures the initiation of this reaction. The released manganese ions catalyze the conversion of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> into hydroxyl radicals and effectively activate the cGAS-STING signaling pathway for tumor inhibition. Collectively, these findings reveal the potent antitumor effects of the biomineralized nanomedicine and pave the way for translating arsenic into solid tumor therapy via targeted delivery and synergistic therapy.

Small MethodsVol. 9(12)
Shandong Provincial QianFoShan Hospital (CN), Shandong First Medical University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province
Openalex Percentile: Top 30%
Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
0.67
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.