Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive malignant brain tumor, with a poor prognosis. Temozolomide (TMZ) represents the standard chemotherapy for GBM but has limited efficacy due to poor targeting and a hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME). To address these challenges, we developed a dual-gas-releasing, cancer-cell-membrane-camouflaged nanoparticle to deliver TMZ. This nanoceria, camouflaged with a cancer cell membrane (CCM-CeO(2)), targets explicitly GBM cells and accumulates in lysosomes, triggering the rapid release of TMZ. Additionally, CCM-CeO(2) could release oxygen (O(2)) and nitric oxide (NO) in response to the TME. Synthesized using d-arginine, catalytic nanoceria could decompose excessive hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) in the TME to produce O(2), while d-arginine could nonenzymatically react with H(2)O(2) to generate NO. CCM-CeO(2) could penetrate GBM spheroids to a depth of 148.3 ± 31 μm, with the O(2) and NO produced, reducing HIF-1α protein expression. When loaded with TMZ, CCM-CeO(2) could increase the intracellular ROS produced by TMZ, leading to lysosome membrane permeabilization and notably augmented apoptosis and necrosis in GBM cells. An in vitro antitumor assay using spheroids showed that CCM-CeO(2) reduced the IC(50) value of TMZ from 174.5 to 42.6 μg/mL, likely due to the catalase-like activity of nanoceria. These results suggest that alleviating hypoxia and increasing ROS produced by chemotherapeutics could be an effective therapeutic strategy for treating GBM.