Lysosome-Mitochondria Cascade Targeting Nanoparticle Drives Robust Pyroptosis for Cancer Immunotherapy

Abstract

The subcellular distribution of cargoes plays a crucial role in determining cell fate and therapeutic efficacy. However, achieving the precise delivery of therapeutics to specific intracellular targets remains a significant challenge. Here, we present a trimodular and acid/enzyme-gated nanoplatform (TAEN) that undergoes disassembly within acidic endosomes and then is cleaved by lysosomal cathepsin B to facilitate efficient and targeted transport of released cargoes into mitochondria compartments. By utilizing this nanovehicle, we successfully achieve selective sorting of photosensitizer molecules into mitochondria with a colocalization coefficient of up to 0.98, leading to the generation of reactive oxygen species stress specifically within the mitochondria for potent pyroptosis-based cancer therapy. The induction of mitochondrial stress triggers the intrinsic apoptotic pathway as well as caspase-3/gasdermin-E (GSDME) cascade, resulting in an enhanced cancer cell killing efficacy by nearly 2 orders of magnitude as compared to lysosomal stress. Furthermore, due to its superior capability to stimulate both innate and adaptive immune responses, our mitochondria-sorted nanophotosensitizer exhibits robust antitumor immune efficacy in multiple tumor-bearing mice models. This study not only provides insights into engineering nanomedicines for subcellular targeted delivery but also offers a valuable toolkit for advanced research in the field of nanobiology at subcellular resolution.