Metal-organic cage as a theranostic nanoplatform for magnetic resonance imaging guided chemodynamic therapy

Rationale: Theranostic nanoplatforms exert a vital role in facilitating concurrent real-time diagnosis and on-demand treatment of diseases, thereby making contributions to the improvement of therapeutic efficacy. Nevertheless, the structural intricacy and the absence of well-defined integration of dual functionality persist as challenges in the development of theranostic nanoplatforms. Methods: We develop an atomically precise theranostic nanoplatform based on metal-organic cage (MOC) to provide magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided chemodynamic therapy (CDT) for cancer therapy and assess the theranostic performance both in vitro and in vivo. Through UV-vis spectroscopy, staining, and western blotting, the ability of MOC-Mn to generate center dot OH and the subsequent inhibition of HeLa cells was confirmed. Results: The MOC-Mn composed of manganese and calixarene was successfully synthesized and comprehensively characterized. The catalytic activity of manganese within MOC-Mn facilitated the efficient generation of hydroxyl radicals (center dot OH) through a Fenton-like reaction, leveraging the high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Additionally, its capacity to prolong the T1 relaxation time and augment the MR signal was observed. The theranostic efficacy was verified via rigorous in vitro and in vivo experiments, indicating that MOC-Mn offered clearer visualization of tumor particulars and substantial suppression of tumor growth. Conclusion: This study showcases a precise MRI-guided CDT theranostic nanoplatform for cancer therapy, thereby promoting the advancement of precise nanomedicine and structure-function research.