Self‐Amplified Nanomedicine Enables Lysosomal Blockade to Potentiate Starvation Therapy of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Starvation therapy targeting the metabolic vulnerability of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) holds great potential; however, analyses of clinical samples and orthotopic models reveal that its efficacy is undermined by lysosome-mediated metabolic compensation. To disrupt this metabolic adaptability, we herein engineer a homotypic membrane-camouflaged nanomedicine capable of hypoxia-responsive cascade drug release and enhanced tumor accumulation. The resulting nanomedicine performs a hypoxia-induced phase transition that first liberates glucose oxidase to intensify oxygen deprivation and subsequently triggers burst release of chloroquine. Such a design of self-amplified relay drug release ensures effective starvation induction and precise lysosomal alkalization, thereby shutting down lysosome-mediated nutrient recycling. In a xenograft orthotopic PDAC model, this nanomedicine achieves 9.75-fold increase in tumor accumulation, robust tumor inhibition of 92.8%, and an elevated survival rate of 80% with favorable biosafety. Collectively, our findings highlight lysosomal disruption as a therapeutic lever to potentiate starvation therapy and provide a clinically actionable nanoplatform to enhance metabolic interventions for other metabolically vulnerable malignancies.
Authors
- Heng Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0103-2173)
- Xuan Pan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9161-4267)
- Xiaoyu Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7418-3239)
- Qifeng Zhong
- Fenglin Xu
- Jianping Zhou
- Zhenning Ye
- Yang Ding
- Mingjie Song
- Ziru Zhang
Institutions
- Wannan Medical College (CN)
- China Pharmaceutical University (CN)
- First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Materials
- Published
- 2026-02-02
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202519523
- Primary Topic
- Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Government of Jiangsu Province
- Recruitment Program of Global Experts
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines
- Wannan Medical College
- National Ten Thousand Talent Program
- Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province