Abstract
To enhance treatment outcomes for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), this study evaluates the efficacy of tumor mitochondrial protein 1 (TMTP1)-modified extracellular vesicles (EVs) for targeted ropivacaine delivery. The limited efficacy of conventional therapies in NPC highlights the need for innovative strategies that can address both tumor cell proliferation and pain management. EVs, isolated from NPC cell lines and modified with TMTP1 for enhanced tumor targeting, were loaded with ropivacaine to investigate their effects on tumor suppression and immune modulation. Through in vitro assessments, including CCK-8 and Hoechst assays, R-TMTP1 EVs showed effectively inhibited tumor growth and enhanced drug cytotoxicity. Further investigations revealed that these EVs suppress Cyclin B1 (CCNB1) expression and disrupt autophagic processes, enhancing apoptosis. In vivo studies using mouse models demonstrated that R-TMTP1 EVs effectively localize to tumor sites, significantly reducing tumor growth and alleviating pain, verified by enhanced T cell activity. These promising results advocate for the further exploration of R-TMTP1 EVs as a dual-function therapeutic tool in NPC.