Tumor Microenvironment-Responsive Nanodrug for Embolotherapy and Enhanced Chemotherapy.

Embolotherapy is an effective antitumor method, which essentially blocks the oxygen supply and induces hypoxia to treat tumors; however, traditional practices demand high expertise and harbor risks of complications. This study presents a mesoporous polydopamine-based (MPDA) drug delivery platform modified by engineered fusion proteins, which can specifically embolize tumor blood vessels and deliver the hypoxia-activated prodrug tirapazamine (TPZ). The fusion protein consists of an affibody targeting HER-2, a substrate for MMP-2, an RGD tripeptide, and a truncated tissue factor (tTF), which is then connected to MPDA loaded with TPZ.