PEGylated Manganese-Zinc Ferrite Nanocrystals Combined with Intratumoral Implantation of Micromagnets Enabled Synergetic Prostate Cancer Therapy via Ferroptotic and Immunogenic Cell Death

Therapeutic efficacy for prostate cancer is highly restricted by insufficient drug accumulation and the resistance to apoptosis and immunogenic cell death (ICD). Although enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect of magnetic nanomaterials could benefit from external magnetic field, it falls off rapidly with increased distance from magnet surface. Considering the deep location of prostate in pelvis, the improvement of EPR effect by external magnetic field is limited. In addition, apoptosis resistance and cGAS-STING pathway inhibition-related immunotherapy resistance are major obstacles to conventional therapy. Herein, the magnetic PEGylated manganese-zinc ferrite nanocrystals (PMZFNs) are designed. Instead of providing external magnet, micromagnets into tumor tissues are intratumorally implanted to actively attract and retain intravenously-injected PMZFNs. As a result, PMZFNs accumulate in prostate cancer with high efficacy, depending on the established internal magnetic field, which subsequently elicit potent ferroptosis and the activation of cGAS-STING pathway. Ferroptosis not only directly suppresses prostate cancer but also triggers burst release of cancer-associated antigens and consequently initiates ICD against prostate cancer, where activated cGAS-STING pathway further amplifies the efficacy of ICD by generating interferon-beta. Collectively, the intratumorally implanted micromagnets confer a durable EPR effect of PMZFNs, which eventually achieve the synergetic tumoricidal efficacy with negligible systemic toxicity.

Automated summary

This study designed magnetic PEGylated manganese-zinc ferrite nanocrystals (PMZFNs) to actively attract and retain the drug in prostate cancer by implanting micromagnets into tumor tissues. The PMZFNs accumulate in prostate cancer and elicit potent ferroptosis and the activation of cGAS-STING pathway, achieving targeted therapy.