Mitochondria‐Targeted Zwitterionic Nanogels Trigger Photopyroptosis for Enhanced Cancer Therapy

ABSTRACT Precise induction of pyroptosis remains a formidable challenge in cancer therapy due to the stringent requirements for spatiotemporal and subcellular control. Herein, we report a zwitterionic nanogels platform (poly( N ‐oxide dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate), PODMMA) that enables precise induction of photopyroptosis via intrinsic mitochondrial targeting. Owing to its unique N ‐oxide zwitterionic structure, the PODMMA nanogels exhibit prolonged blood circulation, selective mitochondrial localization without the need for additional targeting ligands, and enhanced tumor accumulation. In vitro studies demonstrate that the drug‐loaded nanogels efficiently accumulate in mitochondria. Upon irradiation with a 640 nm laser (5 min, 30 mW/cm 2 ), reactive oxygen species (ROS) amplification is triggered leading to the activation of the caspase‐3/gasdermin E (GSDME) pyroptosis pathway. In vivo evaluations demonstrate exceptional therapeutic efficacy with 99.3% tumor inhibition and negligible systemic toxicity. This study establishes a versatile strategy for subcellular‐targeted photopyroptosis and precision cancer therapy.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Small
Published
2026-05-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.73796
Primary Topic
Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

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

Mitochondria‐Targeted Zwitterionic Nanogels Trigger Photopyroptosis for Enhanced Cancer Therapy

Shuting Mai, Yu Zhang, Ying Liu, Zhu Y et al.
Small
Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
article

Mitochondria‐Targeted Zwitterionic Nanogels Trigger Photopyroptosis for Enhanced Cancer Therapy

Shuting Mai, Yu Zhang, Ying Liu, Zhu Y, Licheng Yang, Shaoqi Sheng, Y Huang, Wuli Yang, Haibao Peng
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Precise induction of pyroptosis remains a formidable challenge in cancer therapy due to the stringent requirements for spatiotemporal and subcellular control. Herein, we report a zwitterionic nanogels platform (poly( N ‐oxide dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate), PODMMA) that enables precise induction of photopyroptosis via intrinsic mitochondrial targeting. Owing to its unique N ‐oxide zwitterionic structure, the PODMMA nanogels exhibit prolonged blood circulation, selective mitochondrial localization without the need for additional targeting ligands, and enhanced tumor accumulation. In vitro studies demonstrate that the drug‐loaded nanogels efficiently accumulate in mitochondria. Upon irradiation with a 640 nm laser (5 min, 30 mW/cm 2 ), reactive oxygen species (ROS) amplification is triggered leading to the activation of the caspase‐3/gasdermin E (GSDME) pyroptosis pathway. In vivo evaluations demonstrate exceptional therapeutic efficacy with 99.3% tumor inhibition and negligible systemic toxicity. This study establishes a versatile strategy for subcellular‐targeted photopyroptosis and precision cancer therapy.

Small
Fudan University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Openalex Percentile: Top 10%
Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
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.