Engineering micro oxygen factories to slow tumour progression via hyperoxic microenvironments

• Published in: Nature communications 2022-08, Vol.13 (1), p.4495-4495, Article 4495
• Main Authors: Wang, Weili, Zheng, Huizhen, Jiang, Jun, Li, Zhi, Jiang, Dongpeng, Shi, Xiangru, Wang, Hui, Jiang, Jie, Xie, Qianqian, Gao, Meng, Chu, Jianhong, Cai, Xiaoming, Xia, Tian, Li, Ruibin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 13/1; 13/31; 13/51; 14/19; 14/5; 631/1647; 631/61; 631/67; 64/60; Alginates; Alginic acid; Breast cancer; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Carcinogenesis; Carcinogens; Cell proliferation; Cyanobacteria; Emissions; Factories; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hyperoxia; Hypoxia; Hypoxia-inducible factor 1a; Industrial engineering; Manufacturing engineering; Metastases; Metastasis; Microcapsules; Microencapsulation; Microenvironments; multidisciplinary; Nanoparticles; NF-κB protein; Oxygen; Oxygenation; PD-1 protein; Photosynthesis; Radiation; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Synergistic effect; Tumorigenesis; Tumors
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32066-w

While hypoxia promotes carcinogenesis, tumour aggressiveness, metastasis, and resistance to oncological treatments, the impacts of hyperoxia on tumours are rarely explored because providing a long-lasting oxygen supply in vivo is a major challenge. Herein, we construct micro oxygen factories, namely, photosynthesis microcapsules (PMCs), by encapsulation of acquired cyanobacteria and upconversion nanoparticles in alginate microcapsules. This system enables a long-lasting oxygen supply through the conversion of external radiation into red-wavelength emissions for photosynthesis in cyanobacteria. PMC treatment suppresses the NF-kB pathway, HIF-1α production and cancer cell proliferation. Hyperoxic microenvironment created by an in vivo PMC implant inhibits hepatocarcinoma growth and metastasis and has synergistic effects together with anti-PD-1 in breast cancer. The engineering oxygen factories offer potential for tumour biology studies in hyperoxic microenvironments and inspire the exploration of oncological treatments. Tumour hypoxia is an important factor in tumorigenesis and cancer therapy. Here, the authors present a micro oxygenation factory, capable of providing an oxygen supply through photosynthesis, and demonstrate its utility in cancer therapy.