Modulation of glucose metabolism through macrophage-membrane-coated metal-organic framework nanoparticles for triple-negative breast cancer therapy

The clinical presentation of triple-negative breast cancer signifies a pathophysiological trajectory characterized by an aggressive nature. To satisfy the rapid tumor cell proliferation, glycolysis emerges as the primary modality for energy production, consequently engendering the copious generation of lactic acid. This, in turn, fosters an acidic microenvironment within the tumor milieu, which facilitates angiogenesis, tumor metastasis, extracellular matrix remodeling, and immune evasion. If the glycolytic flux was attenuated, a heightened influx of glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) towards the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) ensues, promoting the synthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and reduced glutathione (GSH). This orchestrated metabolic cascade gives rise to reductive equivalents and biosynthetic substrates, emblematic of a salient hallmark in the landscape of cancer cell metabolism. To surmount the quandary presented by aberrant tumor metabolism, we developed macrophage-membrane-coated metal–organic framework nanoparticles (AP@ZIF-Mem) to deliver atorvastatin (an inhibitor of MCT4, a lactic acid transporter within glycolysis) and polydatin (an inhibitor of G6PD, the rate-limiting enzyme of PPP) to interfere the glucose metabolism for sensitizing triple-negative breast cancer treatment. After i.v. injection, AP@ZIF-Mem could be accumulated into the tumor site via macrophage-biomimetic behavior. Through orchestrated intervention, these nanoparticles could provoke the accumulation of lactic acid within tumor cells, thereby precipitating a pronounced intratumoral acidosis; In parallel, the abrogation of G6PD function occasioned a surge in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), consequentially culminating in diminished ribulose-5-phosphate and NADPH production. This dual-pronged intervention not only disrupted the tumor's energy provisioning framework but also perturbed the aberrant redox state of the tumor milieu, thereby sensitizing tumor treatment and impeding the metastatic trajectory. This study provided a paradigm of treatment/adjuvant treatment via the manipulation of glucose metabolism for triple-negative breast cancer.