Nano-enabled Tumor Systematic Energy Exhaustion via Zinc (II) Interference Mediated Glycolysis Inhibition and Specific GLUT1 Depletion

Despite the promise of tumor starvation therapies, they are often associated with nonspecific and incomplete energy blockade. Here, a novel paradigm of starvation therapy is proposed to synergize the Zn2+ interference-mediated glycolysis inhibition and Zn2+-activating GLUT1 (Glucose transporter 1) tumor specific depletion for systematic energy exhaustion. It is discovered that ZIF-8 (zinc imidazolate metal-organic frameworks ) can induce abrupt intracellular Zn2+ elevation preferentially in melanoma cells, and then achieve effective glycolysis blockade through Zn2+ interference-triggered decrease of NAD(+) and inactivation of GAPDH, making it a powerful tumor energy nanoinhibitor. Meanwhile, Zn2+-activating DNAzymes for specifically cleaving GLUT1 mRNA is designed. This DNAzyme can only be activated under intracellular Zn2+ overloading, and then directionally cut off glucose supply, which further restrains the adaptive up-regulation of glycolytic flux after glycolysis inhibition in tumors. Afterward, DNAzymes are loaded in ZIF-8 concurrently tethered by hyaluronic acid (HA), constructing a nanoenabled energy interrupter . Such a rational design presents a preferential accumulation tendency to tumor sites due to the active CD44-targeting mechanisms, specifically achieves remarkable systematic energy exhaustion in melanoma cells, and affords 80.8% in tumor growth suppression without systemic toxicity in vivo. This work verifies a fascinating therapeutic platform enabling ion interference-inductive starvation strategy for effective tumor therapy.

Automated summary

A novel paradigm of starvation therapy is proposed to synergize Zn2+ interference-mediated glycolysis inhibition and Zn2+-activating GLUT1 tumor specific depletion. This therapeutic platform enables ion interference-inductive starvation strategy for effective tumor therapy, showing remarkable tumor growth suppression without systemic toxicity in vivo.