Rhodium(III)‐Nitroxyl Radical Complex Triggers Dual‐Pronged Disulfidptosis‐Apoptosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Metabolic Sabotage and Redox Catalysis
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) resists apoptosis-targeting therapies, necessitating the development of agents targeting alternative cell death pathways. Here, we report the discovery of a nitroxyl radical-conjugated Rh(III) complex (OG-Rh) that triggers dual disulfidptosis and apoptosis via synergistic metabolic sabotage and redox catalysis. OG-Rh inhibited glucose uptake, depleted NADPH, and induced disulfidptosis, a novel disulfide-stress-mediated death, by inducing actin cytoskeleton collapse via pathogenic disulfide over-crosslinking. Simultaneously, its tumor-selective superoxide dismutase/peroxidase (SOD)/(POD) mimetic activity converted endogenous O<sub>2</sub>•<sup>-</sup> and H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> into •OH, resulting in redox attacks that suppressed AP-1 via Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK)-SIRT1 and amplified disulfide stress. This dual pathway mechanism overcomes apoptosis resistance and catalytic therapy limitations. In vitro, OG-Rh showed potent cytotoxicity (IC<sub>50</sub> = 1.0 µM in BEL-7402 cells) and selectivity (>10-fold versus normal cells). In vivo, it suppressed tumor growth by 60.9% without systemic toxicity. This work pioneered a strategy via "metabolic sabotage-redox storm" achieved by a small-molecule metallodrug, offering a paradigm-shifting approach against refractory HCC.
Authors
- Jianhua Wei
- Huichao Lin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8260-1763)
- Cheng Hou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2967-0326)
- Ji‐Hu Su (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7850-1661)
- Liu‐Lin Chen
- Liang Hong
- Yongzhao Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0133-5342)
- Zhen‐Feng Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6548-6131)
- Chun‐Peng Jia
- Lixia Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4766-1378)
- Wen‐Ying Shen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2822-5960)
- Zengyi Mo
Institutions
- University of Science and Technology of China (CN)
- Guilin Medical University (CN)
- Guangxi Normal University (CN)
- Hefei National Center for Physical Sciences at Nanoscale (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition
- Published
- 2025-11-24
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202517864
- Primary Topic
- Metal-Catalyzed Oxygenation Mechanisms
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00