Volume 133, Issue 12 pp. 6583-6591
Forschungsartikel

A Macromolecular Drug for Cancer Therapy via Extracellular Calcification

Ning Tang

Ning Tang

Cancer Institute, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009 China

Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029 China

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Hanhui Li

Hanhui Li

Cancer Institute, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009 China

Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029 China

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Lihong Zhang

Lihong Zhang

Cancer Institute, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009 China

Department of Biochemistry, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058 China

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Xueyun Zhang

Xueyun Zhang

Cancer Institute, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009 China

Department of Biochemistry, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058 China

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Yanni Chen

Yanni Chen

Cancer Institute, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009 China

Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029 China

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Hao Shou

Hao Shou

Cancer Institute, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009 China

Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029 China

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Shuaishuai Feng

Shuaishuai Feng

Cancer Institute, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009 China

Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029 China

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Xinhua Chen

Xinhua Chen

Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation Ministry of Public Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003 China

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Prof. Dr. Yan Luo

Prof. Dr. Yan Luo

Cancer Institute, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009 China

Department of Biochemistry, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058 China

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Prof. Dr. Ruikang Tang

Corresponding Author

Prof. Dr. Ruikang Tang

Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027 China

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Prof. Dr. Ben Wang

Corresponding Author

Prof. Dr. Ben Wang

Cancer Institute, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009 China

Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029 China

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First published: 11 January 2021
Citations: 6

Abstract

Cancer chemotherapy typically relies on drug endocytosis and inhibits tumor cell proliferation via intracellular pathways; however, severe side effects may arise. In this study, we performed a first attempt to develop macromolecular-induced extracellular chemotherapy involving biomineralization by absorbing calcium from the blood through a new type of drug, polysialic acid conjugated with folate (folate-polySia), which selectively induces biogenic mineral formation on tumor cells and results in the pathological calcification of tumors. The macromolecule-initiated extracellular calcification causes cancer cell death mainly by intervening with the glycolysis process in cancer cells. Systemic administration of folate-polySia inhibited cervical and breast tumor growth and dramatically improved survival rates in mice. This study provides an extracellular therapeutic approach for malignant tumor diseases via calcification that is ready for clinical trials and offers new insights into macromolecular anticancer drug discovery.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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