Designing bioresponsive metal azolate framework-based nanosystem for efficient cancer therapy

Abstract

Chemotherapy is one of the major cancer therapeutic approaches, however, it is limited by non-specificity, poor solubility, resistance. We reported here the use of bioresponsive nano metal azolate framework-4 (MAF-4) as vehicle materials and cRGD (cyclic arginine-glycine-aspartic) as target peptide to precisely deliver PSeD (selenadiazole derivative) to breast cancer cells. This intelligent nanosystem was stable at relatively basic pH (∼7.4, body fluid), while it slowly decomposed at slightly acidic pH (∼5.3, lysosomes) to release drug for precise treatment of breast cancer. The nanosystem specifically accumulated in tumors in vivo, and thus demonstrated high antitumor efficacy and non-toxic to normal tissues. Generally, this study indulged an innovative strategy for efficient cancer therapy using intelligent nanocarrier materials.