GSH-Sensitive Nanoscale Mn³⁺-Sealed Coordination Particles as Activatable Drug Delivery Systems for Synergistic Photodynamic-Chemo Therapy

Activatable nanoscale drug delivery systems (NDDSs) are promising in maximizing cancer specificity and anticancer efficacy, and a multifunctional metal–organic nanomaterial is one of the new star NDDSs which requires further exploration. Herein, a novel DOX@MnCPs/PEG NDDSs were constructed by first synthesizing Mn3+-sealed coordination particles (MnCPs), modified with a targeted PEGylated polymer, and then loading anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX). MnCPs were prepared from the assembly of Mn3+ ions and hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (HMME) molecules. Furthermore, MnCPs had an average size of ∼100 nm and a large surface area (∼52.6 m2 g–1) and porosity (∼3.6 nm). After the loading of DOX, DOX@MnCPs/PEG exhibited a high DOX-loading efficacy of 27.2%, and they reacted with glutathione (GSH) to confer structural collapse, leading to the production of Mn2+ ions for enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), free HMME for augmented photodynamic effect, and free DOX for chemotherapy. As a consequence, these DOX@MnCPs/PEG NDDSs after intravenous injection showed efficient tumor homing and then exerted an obvious suppression for tumor growth rate by synergistic photodynamic-chemo therapy in vivo. Importantly, most of the DOX@MnCPs/PEG NDDSs could be gradually cleared through the renal pathway, and the remaining part could slowly be metabolized via the feces, enabling high biosafety. Therefore, this work provides a type of GSH-sensitive NDDS with biosafety, caner specificity, and multifunctionality for high synergistic treatment efficacy.