Engineering Metal‐Organic‐Framework‐Based STING Nanoagonists for PROTAC‐Enhanced Cancer Chemo‐Metalloimmunotherapy

Oct 13, 2025Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)

Designing metal-organic-framework nanoparticles to boost immune response and targeted protein degradation in cancer chemo-immunotherapy

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Abstract

Mn-CDDP-dBET6@CM is a multifunctional manganese-based nanoplatform designed to enhance cancer treatment by integrating various therapeutic strategies.

  • The system co-delivers manganese to activate the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway and cisplatin to induce DNA damage.
  • It employs a to target bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) to promote mitochondrial DNA release and reduce immune evasion.
  • Coating with tumor cell membranes aids in targeting and evading the immune response.
  • Results indicate effective induction of cellular senescence, activation of innate and adaptive immunity, and remodeling of the tumor microenvironment.
  • In vitro and in vivo studies show significant tumor growth inhibition and increased infiltration of cytotoxic T cells.

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Key numbers

2.08×
Cytotoxicity Increase
Mn--dBET6@CM uptake in 4T1 cells vs. B16F10 and HEK-293T cells.
1.80×
Increase in CD8⁺ T Cells
CD8⁺ T cell proportion in Mn--dBET6@CM-treated mice vs. control group.
11.7×
Decrease in Treg Cells
CD25⁺ FOXP3⁺ Treg cell population in treated vs. control groups.

Key figures

Figure 1
Conventional vs -enhanced chemo- mechanisms and effects
Highlights enhanced DNA damage and reduced expression in PROTAC-enhanced therapy overcoming chemoresistance and immune escape.
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  • Panel a
    Conventional chemo-metalloimmunotherapy: Mn2+ activates - pathway inducing cytokine secretion and dendritic cell maturation; causes nucleus DNA damage and nuclear DNA leakage activating cGAS; chemoresistance arises from DNA repair; immune escape occurs via PD-L1 overexpression.
  • Panel b, I
    Design strategy of STING nanoagonists: Mn2+, CDDP, and dBET6 linked and self-assembled into Mn-CDDP-dBET6 nanoparticles coated with tumor cell membrane for lysosomal escape, homologous targeting, pH-responsive release, and multimodal synergy.
  • Panel b, II
    Synergistic immunomodulation by PROTAC-mediated degradation: enhanced DNA damage and reduced RAD51 inhibit DNA repair, triggering cell cycle arrest, , mitochondrial DNA damage, and triple STING activation; PD-L1 expression is transcriptionally inhibited reducing immune escape and enabling T cell activation.
Figure 4
Mitochondrial DNA release and expression changes in 4T1 cells under different treatments
Highlights increased mitochondrial DNA release and higher PD-L1 expression in treated cells, spotlighting immune evasion modulation.
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  • Panel a
    Flow cytometry histograms of 4T1 cells stained with mitochondrial probe showing mitochondrial membrane potential changes across five treatment groups (G1 to G5). G1 has the highest J-aggregates signal (95.2%), which decreases progressively to G5 (6.5%).
  • Panel b
    Immunofluorescence images showing mitochondrial DNA () release (green) and mitochondria (Mito, red) in 4T1 cells; G1 and G2 show minimal Mt DNA release, while G3 to G5 show visibly increased Mt DNA signal outside mitochondria.
  • Panel c
    Schematic illustrating an autocatalytic cycle where mitochondrial damage leads to mitochondrial DNA leakage and cellular .
  • Panel d
    Western blot analysis of PD-L1 protein expression in 4T1 cells after treatments; bands show varying PD-L1 levels across groups G1 to G5.
  • Panel e
    Flow cytometry quantification of PD-L1 expression showing highest levels in G5 and lowest in G1; statistical significance indicated between groups.
  • Panel f
    Immunofluorescence staining of PD-L1 (red) in 4T1 cells; PD-L1 signal appears visibly stronger in G5 compared to G1 and G2.
  • Panel g
    Schematic showing -induced degradation leading to PD-L1 downregulation and blocking PD-1/PD-L1 interaction between cancer cells and T cells.
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Full Text

What this is

  • This research presents a novel nanoplatform, Mn-CDDP-dBET6@CM, designed for enhanced cancer treatment.
  • It integrates , chemotherapy, and -mediated epigenetic modulation to overcome challenges like chemoresistance and immune evasion.
  • The platform co-delivers manganese to activate the STING pathway, cisplatin for DNA damage, and a to suppress immune checkpoint PD-L1.
  • In vitro and in vivo results indicate significant tumor growth inhibition and robust immune activation.

Essence

  • The Mn-CDDP-dBET6@CM nanoplatform effectively combines chemotherapy and immunotherapy, resulting in enhanced tumor suppression and immune activation. It achieves this through simultaneous delivery of manganese, cisplatin, and a , addressing key barriers in cancer treatment.

Key takeaways

  • Mn-CDDP-dBET6@CM significantly enhances tumor growth inhibition compared to single treatments. In vivo studies show that this nanoplatform leads to effective tumor suppression and improved immune responses.
  • The platform induces robust activation of the STING pathway and promotes dendritic cell maturation, leading to increased cytotoxic T cell infiltration. This suggests a synergistic effect in activating both innate and adaptive immune responses.
  • BRD4 degradation via the component downregulates PD-L1, alleviating immune checkpoint-mediated suppression. This mechanism is crucial for improving the efficacy of the treatment.

Caveats

  • The study primarily focuses on a specific cancer model, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other cancer types. Further research is needed to confirm efficacy across diverse tumor types.
  • Long-term effects and potential toxicity of the nanoplatform in vivo require thorough investigation to ensure safety for clinical applications.

Definitions

  • metalloimmunotherapy: A treatment strategy that uses metal ions to enhance immune responses against tumors.
  • PROTAC: Proteolysis-targeting chimeras that facilitate the degradation of specific proteins to modulate cellular processes.

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