journal article·2026-03Open access

Self‐Amplified Nanomedicine Enables Lysosomal Blockade to Potentiate Starvation Therapy of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Mingjie Song, Ziru Zhang, Xuan Pan, Xiaoyu Yang, Fenglin Xu, Zhenning Ye, Jianping Zhou, Qifeng Zhong, Yang Ding, Huaqing Zhang

Advanced Materials· Volume 38· Issue 14

Abstract

ABSTRACT Starvation therapy targeting the metabolic vulnerability of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) holds great potential; however, analyses of clinical samples and orthotopic models reveal that its efficacy is undermined by lysosome‐mediated metabolic compensation. To disrupt this metabolic adaptability, we herein engineer a homotypic membrane‐camouflaged nanomedicine capable of hypoxia‐responsive cascade drug release and enhanced tumor accumulation. The resulting nanomedicine performs a hypoxia‐induced phase transition that first liberates glucose oxidase to intensify oxygen deprivation and subsequently triggers burst release of chloroquine. Such a design of self‐amplified relay drug release ensures effective starvation induction and precise lysosomal alkalization, thereby shutting down lysosome‐mediated nutrient recycling. In a xenograft orthotopic PDAC model, this nanomedicine achieves 9.75‐fold increase in tumor accumulation, robust tumor inhibition of 92.8%, and an elevated survival rate of 80% with favorable biosafety. Collectively, our findings highlight lysosomal disruption as a therapeutic lever to potentiate starvation therapy and provide a clinically actionable nanoplatform to enhance metabolic interventions for other metabolically vulnerable malignancies.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics · Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism · Autophagy in Disease and Therapy

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

Affiliations

State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines Department of Pharmaceutics China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing China

Department of Hepato‐Biliary‐Pancreatic Surgery The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College (Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College) Wuhu China

Department of Biomedical Engineering School of Engineering China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing China

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China

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