A metal-organic framework functionalized CaO-based cascade nanoreactor induces synergistic cuproptosis/ferroptosis and Ca overload-mediated mitochondrial damage for enhanced sono-chemodynamic immunotherapy.

Cuproptosis is an emerging form of programmed cell death and shows enormous prospect in cancer treatment. Excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), metal ion accumulation, and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle collapse are pivotal elements in the triggering of cell death via mitochondrial pathways. Herein, a cascade nanoreactor CaCuZC has been constructed by incorporating nanosonosensitizer IR780 carbon dots (IR780 CD) and calcium peroxide (CaO) into metal-organic frameworks (MOF) for synergistic cuproptosis-ferroptosis and Caoverload mediated immunotherapy. Within tumor cells, CaCuZC dissociates into CaO, Cuand sonosensitizer IR780 CD. The decomposition of CaO could generate HO to strengthen the Cu-based chemodynamic therapy and Caoverload induces amplified intracellular oxidative stress, thus leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. As a result, the combination of Cuand Ca overload together induce cascade mitochondrial damage. Moreover, the sonosensitizer IR780 CD generates ROS under ultrasound irradiation to amplify intracellular oxidative stress. In addition, the overloaded Cu released from CaCuZC leads to the aggregation of lipoylated protein dihydrolipoamide S-acetyltransferase, thus resulting in cuproptosis. Furthermore, ferroptosis could been concomitantly induced by CaCuZC with intracellular glutathione (GSH) consumption and lipid peroxidation (LPO) accumulation. The cuproptosis-ferroptosis and Caoverload-enhanced synergistic therapy also activates robust immunogenic cell death. CaCuZC enhances the infiltration and activation of tumor-specific cytotoxic T cells to transform a "cold" tumor into a "hot" tumor, activating the anti-tumor immune response. This study provides a cascade of mitochondrial damage strategy for triggering cuproptosis-ferroptosis and Caoverload-enhanced immunotherapy and achieving improved therapeutic effects. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: To improve the efficacy of tumor immunotherapy, a cascade nanoreactor CaCuZC was successfully constructed based on a self-assembly strategy for cuproptosis-ferroptosis and Ca overload mediated immunotherapy. Upon decomposition within the acidic and GSH-overexpressing tumor microenvironment, CaCuZC released CaO and Cu and sonosensitizer IR780 CD. The CaO further produced HO/O and Ca in a weakly acidic environment to strengthen the Cu-based CDT and IR780 CD-mediated SDT, respectively. The overload copper ions not only led to cuproptosis, but also efficiently induced ferroptosis. The cuproptosis-ferroptosis and Caoverload-enhanced synergistic therapy also activates robust immunogenic cell death. This study presents a cascade of mitochondrial damage strategy for cuproptosis-ferroptosis and Caoverload-enhanced immunotherapy.