A biomimetic mineralization nanosystem based on glycolysis-oxidative stress-autophagy regulation for the suppression of malignant tumor and lung metastasis

The complex, invasive, and metastatic nature of malignant tumors make the current treatment of patients challenging in advanced stages. The present study proposes a multi-effect synergistic biomimetic mineralization nanosystem (LND-BSA@FePO4) to regulate tumor cell metabolism and relevant biological behaviors through glycolysis-oxidative stress-autophagy process. Bovine serum albumin complexed with lonidamine served as a template to induce the formation of iron phosphate mineralization in situ. After intratumoral administration, the released lonidamine inhibited hexokinase II and down-regulated the level of glycolysis, cutting off the energy and biosynthesis supply source for tumor growth. Ferric ions dissociated from biomineralization in acidic microenvironment converted reduced glutathione to oxidized glutathione, elevated oxidative stress and induced ferroptosis through chemokinetic reactions. The dissociated phosphate ions function as an autophagy inhibitor to block the protective autophagy cased by energy deprivation for efficacy enhancement. The up-regulation of Nrf2 and LC3 proteins, the down-regulation of HK2 and GPX4 proteins, and the increase of ROS level in tumors all confirmed this conclusion. Notably, the nanosystem also down-regulated the release of inflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-8) and metastasis-related proteins (N-Cadherine, Vimentin) simultaneously, effectively preventing distant lung metastasis of tumor. In summary, this biomineralization-based nanosystem exhibited powerful antitumor effects both in vitro and in vivo and provides a new perspective for addressing the dilemma of malignant tumor treatment.