journal article·2025-07Open access

Microwave‐Responsive AlEu‐MOFs Potentiate NLRP3‐Mediated Pyroptosis via a “Triple Initiating” Tactic for Breast Cancer Microwave‐Immunotherapy

Qiong Wu, Lirong Zhao, Longfei Tan, Xiangling Ren, Changhui Fu, Zengzhen Chen, Guihua Jiang, Lourdes Farrugia, Xiaohe Xu, Xianwei Meng

Small· Volume 21· Issue 30

Abstract

Abstract Microwave thermotherapy is favored in clinical practice for breast cancer conservation strategies due to its minimally invasive characteristic. Nevertheless, the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) significantly attenuates the therapeutic efficacy of anti‐tumor immune response, posing challenges in effectively preventing tumor recurrence and metastasis. Pyroptosis, a recently identified form of programmed cell death triggered by inflammasomes, presents unique inflammatory and immunogenic properties that hold promise for cancer immunotherapy. Herein, microwave‐responsive AlEu‐MOFs are designed and synthesized to boost NLRP3‐mediated pyroptosis via a “Triple Initiating” tactic for breast cancer microwave‐immunotherapy. The potent microwave thermal effect of AEM facilitates the up‐regulation of HSP90, thereby initiating NLRP3 expression. Concurrently, it induces mitochondrial dysfunction to generate substantial quantities of ROS, further enhancing NLRP3 expression to achieve a targeted amplification of microwave thermotherapy‐induced pyroptosis. Simultaneously, the microwave‐responsive directed anchoring release of highly active metal ions promotes the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome jointly, ultimately inducing high‐efficiency pyroptosis. This innovative “2M” (materials and methods) dual‐pronged strategy not only significantly inhibits primary tumor proliferation, but also further impedes distant tumor progression and lung metastasis. This work provides a novel strategy to accurately and effectively achieve pyroptosis and offers a new approach to overcome the obstacles of clinical microwave thermotherapy.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Inflammasome and immune disorders · Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics · Extracellular vesicles in disease

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

State Key Laboratory of Cryogenic Science and Technology Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 China

Laboratory of Controllable Preparation and Application of Nanoparticles Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 China

Shanxi Pharmaceutical Vocational College Taiyuan 030031 China

The Department of Medical Imaging The Affiliated Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital of Jinan University Guangzhou 518037 China

Department of Physics University of Malta Msida MSD 2080 Malta

Department of Ophthalmology Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University 36 Nansanhao Street Shenyang 110004 China

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China · Natural Science Foundation of Beijing Municipality

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