Lysosome-targeting chimeras (LYTACs) hold therapeutic potential by degrading pathogenesis-associated proteins. However, current LYTAC systems often require considerable effort for case-by-case construction and are devoid of a convenient and efficient modular platform. Here, we develop a modular LYTAC platform based on human heavy chain ferritin (HFn), leveraging its peptide-display function and TfR1-mediated lysosomal endocytosis. This system comprises a bioengineered HFn scaffold with enhanced TfR1 affinity and target-specific affibodies conjugated to the HFn via SpyTag-SpyCatcher system. Using this approach, HFn-LYTACs efficiently degrade epidermal growth factor receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor-2 and programmed death-ligand 1. Mechanistic studies indicate that the HFn-LYTAC platform mediates the degradation of membrane proteins via two distinct mechanisms: a TfR1-dependent endocytic pathway as well as the nanoparticle size and multivalent ligand effect of HFn-LYTAC. In vivo, HFn-LYTACs inhibit tumor growth with favorable safety. Therefore, the modular HFn-LYTAC platform represents a versatile, efficient, and promising strategy for tumor-targeted therapy.

The immune system is essential for maintaining physiological balance, defending against pathogens, and eliminating abnormal cells. Immune dysregulation—manifesting as either suppression or hyperactivation—plays a central role in the pathogenesis of diseases such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and chronic inflammatory disorders. As a novel class of catalytic nanomaterials, nanozymes possess enzyme-mimicking activities and exhibit high stability, biocompatibility, and tunable functionalities, enabling them to serve as versatile tools in immunomodulation. This review highlights the dual immunoregulatory capabilities of nanozymes and their context-dependent therapeutic applications, including promoting antitumor immunity, restoring immune homeostasis in autoimmune diseases, and attenuating pathological inflammation. We systematically discuss the mechanisms by which nanozymes modulate immune responses, reshape immune microenvironments, and influence key signaling pathways. These insights aim to facilitate the rational design of next-generation nanozyme-based immunotherapeutics.

Transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1), a widely expressed type II transmembrane glycoprotein located on the plasma membrane, is well known for its established role in cellular iron uptake. Nevertheless, emerging evidence implies that TfR1 exhibits previously unrecognized noncanonical functions. Herein, we demonstrated the nuclear translocation of TfR1 and revealed the interaction between TfR1 and p53 within the nucleus. Through comprehensive analyses at the proteomic, genomic, and transcriptomic levels, we demonstrated that this interaction significantly influences the transcriptional activity of p53 on its downstream target genes, which are highly enriched in DNA damage repair functions. Specifically, our investigation revealed the indispensable role of nuclear TfR1 in the regulation of the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway, exemplified by the transcriptional regulation of XPC. Notably, both in vitro and in vivo results revealed a positive regulatory role of TfR1 in the NER pathway. Subsequent phenomic analysis of clinical colorectal tumor samples confirmed a positive correlation between nuclear TfR1 levels and tumor malignancy, aggressive features, and metastasis. Collectively, our findings highlight the non-classical function of TfR1, emphasizing its importance in the regulation of gene expression, as well as tumor progression.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) continues to represent a substantial unmet therapeutic need in clinical practice. In recent years, peptide-drug conjugates and small interfering RNA (siRNA) drugs have gained considerable attention due to their impressive clinical progress in treating various diseases. In this study, we designed a carrier-free "3-in-1" peptide-daunorubicin-siRNA (PDR) nanoassembly, which combines a cell-penetrating and tumor-suppressing peptide, a daunorubicin (DNR) prodrug, and siRNA targeting the LILRB4 gene. After optimizing the molar ratio among peptide, DNR prodrug, and siRNA, we identified the most potent PDR formulation, which exhibited excellent intracellular uptake efficiency, primarily through caveolin-mediated endocytosis, in THP-1 cells. The pH-responsive bond in the DNR prodrug facilitated the endosomal escape of siRNA, leading to significant gene repression of LILRB4. Additionally, the tumor-suppressing peptide p16MIS effectively inhibited the transition of cells from the S phase to the G2/M phase and induced apoptosis. In a leukemia mouse model, PDR efficiently suppressed leukemia cell invasion, prolonged survival, and reduced leukemia cell infiltration in the bone marrow. Notably, silencing LILRB4 not only promoted T cell maturation in spleen and lymph nodes but also enhanced T cell infiltration in tumor tissues. This study offered a highly promising therapeutic strategy for AML and other diseases.

RNA interference (RNAi) represents a promising gene-specific therapy against tumors. However, its clinical translation is impeded by poor performance of lysosomal escape and tumor targeting. This challenge is especially prominent in glioblastoma (GBM) therapy, necessitating the penetration of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Leveraging the intrinsic tumor-targeting and BBB traversing capability of human H-ferritin, we designed a series of ferritin variants with positively charged cavity and truncated carboxyl terminus, termed tHFn(+). These nanocarriers respond to weak acid and disassemble in endosomal compartments, exposing the internal positive charges to facilitate the lysosomal escape of loaded small interfering RNA (siRNA). Functioning as universal siRNA nanocarriers, tHFn(+) significantly enhanced the uptake of different siRNAs and suppressed gene expressions associated with GBM progression. Furthermore, tHFn(+) traversed the BBB and targeted glioma in vivo by binding to its receptors (e.g., transferrin receptor 1). tHFn(+)-delivered siRNAs exhibited exceptional therapeutic effects against glioma in vivo, advancing RNAi therapeutics beyond GBM for the treatment of various diseases.

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) has shown promising therapeutic prospects in many major diseases. However, two main reasons limit the application of siRNA: poor endocytosis efficiency and weak endosomal escape ability. Therefore, the development of efficient and safe delivery vectors has always been an important study aspect of RNAi technology. Herein, we designed a self-assembled nanoparticle based on functionalized peptides to deliver siRNA to the down-regulated polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) gene, which can inhibit tumor cells in the G2 phase. The functional polypeptide consists of cell membrane-penetrating peptide (CPP44) and p16 minimal inhibitory sequence (p16MIS). CPP44 can effectively mediate endocytosis, while p16MIS can inhibit tumor growth in the G1 phase and synergistically promote the apoptosis of tumor cells with siPLK1. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate that the developed nanoparticle exhibits high levels of silencing efficiency, antitumor activity, and therapeutic efficacy. Consequently, this study provides a novel approach to cancer treatment by simultaneously disrupting two stages of tumor cell division.

Periodontitis is a chronic oral inflammatory disease with the characteristic of excess oxidative stress in the inflammatory site, dramatically decreasing the quality of life. Studies show that nanozymes can be ideal candidates for ROS scavenging in periodontitis. Here, we design a multipath anti-inflammatory mesoporous polydopamine@cerium oxide nanobowl (mPDA@CeO2 NB) with multienzyme mimicking properties, which combines the advantages of both CeO2 NP and mPDA NB for synergistically eliminating reactive oxygen species (ROS), including hydroxyl radical ((OH)-O-center dot), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and superoxide (O-2(center dot-)). Besides, the erythrocyte-like structure of mNBs makes them a facility for cell uptake, and the mesopores can load both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs for combined anti-inflammatory therapy. In vitro and in vivo experiments prove that the combination of CeO2 and mPDA can synergistically achieve multiple complementary ROS eliminations and suppression of ROS-induced inflammation. Moreover, the ROS regulation plus anti-inflammatory drugs in one mPDA@CeO2 NB prevents the progression of periodontitis in a mouse model. Therefore, the design of mPDA@CeO2 NB with these excellent properties provides a therapeutic strategy for inflammatory diseases.

The abundance of molecules on early Earth likely enabled a wide range of prebiotic chemistry, with peptides playing a key role in the development of early life forms and the evolution of metabolic pathways. Among peptides, those with enzyme-like activities occupy a unique position between peptides and enzymes, combining both structural flexibility and catalytic functionality. However, their full potential remains largely untapped. Further exploration of these enzyme-like peptides at the nanoscale could provide valuable insights into modern nanotechnology, biomedicine, and even the origins of life. Hence, this review introduces the groundbreaking concept of “peptide nanozymes (PepNzymes)”, which includes single peptides exhibiting enzyme-like activities, peptide-based nanostructures with enzyme-like activities, and peptide-based nanozymes, thus enabling the investigation of biological phenomena at nanoscale dimensions. Through the rational design of enzyme-like peptides or their assembly with nanostructures and nanozymes, researchers have found or created PepNzymes capable of catalyzing a wide range of reactions. By scrutinizing the interactions between the structures and enzyme-like activities of PepNzymes, we have gained valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms governing enzyme-like activities. Generally, PepNzymes play a crucial role in biological processes by facilitating small-scale enzyme-like reactions, speeding up molecular oxidation-reduction, cleavage, and synthesis reactions, leveraging the functional properties of peptides, and creating a stable microenvironment, among other functions. These discoveries make PepNzymes useful for diagnostics, cellular imaging, antimicrobial therapy, tissue engineering, anti-tumor treatments, and more while pointing out opportunities. Overall, this research provides a significant journey of PepNzymes’ potential in various biomedical applications, pushing them towards new advancements.

Nanozymes are a unique class of nanomaterials that possess intrinsic enzymatic properties, exhibiting similar reaction kinetics to natural enzymes. As enzyme substitutes in various biomedical applications, nanozymes offer numerous advantages, including low cost, tunable catalytic activity, and exceptional stability. However, their catalytic activities are typically lower than those of natural enzymes, and the lack of precise control over their functional modulation limits their therapeutic potential. To address these challenges, the biomimetic and intelligent design of nanozymes has been introduced as a critical concept for enhancing their functionality. In this review, we will explore the importance of biomimetic design in the development of intelligent nanozymes. We will first introduce the foundational principles and strategies for their targeted design, followed by an overview of recent advances in the regulatory mechanisms and biomedical applications of intelligent nanozymes. Lastly, we will highlight the current limitations in this research field and propose future directions. With continued progress in biomimetic and intelligent design, nanozymes are poised to accelerate their clinical translation and large-scale commercialization, further expanding their potential in therapeutic applications.

Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6), a member of the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) family, displays a unique structure and ligand-binding function. As a co-receptor of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, LRP6 is a novel therapeutic target that plays an important role in the regulation of cardiovascular disease, lipid metabolism, tumorigenesis, and some classical signals. By using capillary electrophoresis–systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (CE-SELEX), with recombinant human LRP-6 as the target, four candidate aptamers with a stem-loop structure were selected from an ssDNA library—AptLRP6-A1, AptLRP6-A2, AptLRP6-A3, and AptLRP6-A4. The equilibrium dissociation constant KD values between these aptamers and the LRP6 protein were in the range of 0.105 to 1.279 μmol/L, as determined by CE-LIF analysis. Their affinities and specificities were further determined by the gold nanoparticle (AuNP) colorimetric method. Among them, AptLRP6-A3 showed the highest affinity with LRP6-overexpressed human breast cancer cells. Therefore, the LRP6 aptamer identified in this study constitutes a promising modality for the rapid diagnosis and treatment of LRP6-related diseases.

Ischemic stroke (IS) is one of the most common causes of disability and death. Thrombolysis and neuroprotection are two current major therapeutic strategies to overcome ischemic and reperfusion damage. In this work, a novel peptide-templated manganese dioxide nanozyme (PNzyme/MnO2 ) is designed that integrates the thrombolytic activity of functional peptides with the reactive oxygen species scavenging ability of nanozymes. Through self-assembled polypeptides that contain multiple functional motifs, the novel peptide-templated nanozyme is able to bind fibrin in the thrombus, cross the blood-brain barrier, and finally accumulate in the ischemic neuronal tissues, where the thrombolytic motif is "switched-on" by the action of thrombin. In mice and rat IS models, the PNzyme/MnO2 prolongs the blood-circulation time and exhibits strong thrombolytic action, and reduces the ischemic damages in brain tissues. Moreover, this peptide-templated nanozyme also effectively inhibits the activation of astrocytes and the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. These data indicate that the rationally designed PNzyme/MnO2 nanozyme exerts both thrombolytic and neuroprotective actions. Giving its long half-life in the blood and ability to target brain thrombi, the biocompatible nanozyme may serve as a novel therapeutic agent to improve the efficacy and prevent secondary thrombosis during the treatment of IS.

Rationale: With the advantages of tumor-targeting, pH-responsive drug releasing, and biocompatibility, ferritin nanocage emerges as a promising drug carrier. However, its wide applications were significantly hindered by the low loading efficiency of hydrophobic drugs. Herein, we redesigned the inner surface of ferritin drug carrier (ins-FDC) by fusing the C-terminus of human H ferritin (HFn) subunit with optimized hydrophobic peptides. Methods: Hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs were encapsulated into the ins-FDC through the urea-dependent disassembly/reassembly strategy and the natural drug entry channel of the protein nanocage. The morphology and drug loading/releasing abilities of the drug-loaded nanocarrier were then examined. Its tumor targeting character, system toxicity, application in synergistic therapy, and anti-tumor action were further investigated. Results: After optimization, 39 hydrophobic Camptothecin and 150 hydrophilic Epirubicin were encapsulated onto one ins-FDC nanocage. The ins-FDC nanocage exhibited programed drug release pattern and increased the stability and biocompatibility of the loaded drugs. Furthermore, the ins-FDC possesses tumor targeting property due to the intrinsic CD71-binding ability of HFn. The loaded drugs may penetrate the brain blood barrier and accumulate in tumors in vivo more efficiently. As a result, the drugs loaded on ins-FDC showed reduced side effects and significantly enhanced efficacy against glioma, metastatic liver cancer, and chemo-resistant breast tumors. Conclusions: The ins-FDC nanocarrier offers a promising novel means for the delivery of hydrophobic compounds in cancer treatments, especially for the combination therapies that use both hydrophobic and hydrophilic chemotherapeutics.

In article number 2102004, Xiyun Yan, Kelong Fan, and co-workers present an amphiphilic multi-drug loading protein nanocage (Am-PNCage) with a dual-tumor targeting (CD71 and Integrin) property, which exhibits a spatiotemporally programmed cascade drug release pattern and kills drug-resistant tumor cells synergistically. It represents a novel promising protein cage nanocarrier platform for co-loading synergistic hydrophilic and hydrophobic drug pairs and targeted combination chemotherapy.

Jia, Xiaofeng; Wang, Zhuoran; Zhang, Shuai; Du, Jian; Chen, Songyu; Lachance, Brittany Author Information

A biocompatible and modifiable protein nanocarrier is a promising candidate for tumor targeted drug delivery. However, it is challenging to effectively load hydrophobic drugs, not to mention to upload both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs on one protein nanocarrier. Here, an amphiphilic multi-drug loading protein nanocage (Am-PNCage) is presented which is generated by replacing the fifth helix of human H-ferritin (HFn) subunit with a functional motif composed of hydrophobic-hydrophilic-RGD peptides. The Am-PNCage possesses a dual targeting property resulting from the intrinsic CD71 targeting ability of HFn and the integrin alpha v beta 3 targeting ability of displayed RGD peptides. Through the hydrophilic drug entry channel in the protein nanocage and hydrophobic peptides displayed on the outer surface, amphiphilic epirubicin (132)/camptothecin (50) are stereoscopically loaded into the inner cavity/outer protein shell, respectively, for one Am-PNCage, exhibiting cascade drug release pattern. The dual-targeted Am-PNCage promotes the loaded drugs penetrating various 3D tumor models in vitro, as well as traversing the brain blood barrier and accumulating in brain tumors in vivo. Moreover, the drug loaded Am-PNCage shows reduced side effects and significantly enhances synergistic efficacy against brain tumor, metastatic liver cancers, and drug resistant breast tumor. Thus, the Am-PNCage represents a novel promising protein nanocarrier for targeted combination chemotherapy.

Although calorie restriction has been reported to extend lifespan in several organisms, animals subjected to calorie restriction consume not only fewer calories but also smaller quantities of food. Whether it is the overall restriction of calories or the coincidental reduction in the quantity of food consumed that mediates the anti-aging effects is unclear. Here, we subjected mice to five dietary interventions. We showed that both calorie and quantity restriction could improve early survival, but no maximum lifespan extension was observed in the mice fed isocaloric diet in which food quantity was reduced. Mice fed isoquant diet with fewer calories showed maximum lifespan extension and improved health among all the groups, suggesting that calorie intake rather than food quantity consumed is the key factor for the anti-aging effect of calorie restriction. Midlife liver gene expression correlations with lifespan revealed that calorie restriction raised fatty acid biosynthesis and metabolism and biosynthesis of amino acids but inhibited carbon metabolism, indicating different effects on fatty acid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism. Our data illustrate the effects of calories and food quantity on the lifespan extension by calorie restriction and their potential mechanisms, which will provide guidance on the application of calorie restriction to humans.

Cancer recurrence post surgical resection is of considerable challenge especially in glioblastoma (GBM) therapy. Herein, we demonstrate that interferon-alpha (IFN) fused to a body temperature-sensitive elastin-like polypeptide (IFN-ELP(V)) formed a depot in situ when injected into GBM resection cavity in a mouse brain orthotopic model of GBM. Notably, IFN-ELP(V) in the depot showed a zero-order release kinetics, resulting in dramatically improved pharmacokinetics and biodistribution, and thus inhibited GBM recurrence by stimulating antitumor immunoresponse as compared to IFN. More importantly, when combined with subsequent intraperitoneal injection of temozolomide (TMZ), IFN-ELP(V) could much more effectively suppress post-surgical GBM recurrence than IFN, leading to a remarkably enhanced GBM-free survival rate (60%) over IFN (12.5%). Our findings implicate that the spatiotemporally-programmed combination of IFN-ELP(V) and TMZ leads to the synergy of post-surgical GBM immunochemotherapy, thereby providing a new and effective strategy for cancer therapy.

Nanozymes, nanomaterials with enzyme-like activities, are becoming powerful competitors and potential substitutes for natural enzymes because of their excellent performance, including design from scratch, controllable activity, and environmental resistance. In recent years, various nanozymes have been discovered or designed, and gradually applied to molecular detection, biomedical treatment and environmental management. Nevertheless, nanozymes are often regarded as fascinating and confusing black boxes as their catalytic mechanisms remain largely indistinct. Interestingly, recent researches have shed light into these black boxes. It appears that the enzymatic activities of nanozymes are closely related to their size, surface lattice, surface modification and composition, etc. Some regular structure–activity relationships have been elucidated in recent reports. In this review, we systematically summarized the studies on the structure–activity relationship of nanozymes in recent years, aiming to illustrate the catalytic mechanism of nanozymes and clarify the key factors regulating their behavior, so as to provide ideas and inspiration for the de novo design of nanozymes.

Genetic fusion of a therapeutic protein to albumin can improve its stability and pharmacokinetics, but it usually leads to considerably reduced bioactivity and poor tumor penetration due to increased steric hindrance, resulting in limited antitumor efficacy. Herein we report head-to-tail macrocyclization of albumin-binding domain fused interferon alpha (IFN-ABD) to form a cyclic fusion protein (c-IFN-ABD) with well-retained albumin-binding affinity. Notably, c-IFN-ABD showed not only greater thermal and enzymatic stability and thus antiproliferative activity than IFN-ABD and IFN due to the macrocyclization, but also exhibited considerably better pharmacokinetics than IFN and cyclic IFN owing to the albumin-binding affinity. More importantly, c-IFN-ABD showed deeper tumor penetration, greater tumor retention, and thus higher antitumor efficiency than all the controls without significant systemic side effects in mice bearing melanoma. These results implicate that head-to-tail macrocyclization of ABD fused therapeutic proteins is an enabling strategy for the design of highly potent protein therapeutics for tumor therapy.

Polypeptides are useful in designing protein-polypeptide conjugates for therapeutic applications; however, they are not satisfactory in improving the stability of therapeutic proteins and extending their in vivo half-life. Here we show that thermally-induced self-assembly (TISA) of elastin-like polypeptide diblock copolymer fused interferon alpha (IFNα-ELPdiblock) into a spherical micelle can dramatically enhance the proteolytic stability of IFNα. Notably, the circulation half-life of IFNα-ELPdiblock micelle (54.7 h) is 124.3-, 5.7-, and 1.4-time longer than those of free IFNα (0.44 h), freely soluble IFNα-ELP (9.6 h), and PEGylated IFNα (39.0 h), respectively. Importantly, in a mouse model of ovarian tumor, IFNα-ELPdiblock micelle exhibited significantly enhanced tumor retention and antitumor efficacy over free IFNα, freely soluble IFNα-ELP, and even PEGylated IFNα. These findings provide a thermoresponsive supramolecular strategy of TISA to design protein-diblock copolypeptide conjugate micelles with enhanced stability and pharmacology.