DDTC-Cu(I) based metal-organic framework (MOF) for targeted melanoma therapy by inducing SLC7A11/GPX4-mediated ferroptosis

Disulfiram (DSF), a drug for alcohol withdrawal , has attracted extensive scientific attention due to its potential to treat cancer. The metabolite of DSF, diethyl dithiocarbamate (DDTC), forms a Cu-DDTC complex in vivo with copper ions , which has been shown to be a proteasome inhibitor with high antitumor activity . However, the in vivo stability of Cu-DDTC complexes remains a challenge. In this study, the nanomedicine [email protected] with high antitumor activity was prepared by using the nanoscale metal-organic framework (MOF) Cu-BTC as a carrier and loading diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) through coordination interaction. The results showed that [email protected] had high drug loading and adequate stability, and exhibited DDTC-Cu(I) chemical valence characteristics and polycrystalline structure features. In vitro cytocompatibility investigation and animal xenograft tumor model evaluation demonstrated the anti-cancer potential of [email protected] , especially the combination of [email protected] with low-dose cisplatin showed significant antitumor effect and biosafety. This study provides a feasible protocol for developing antitumor drugs based on the drug repurposing strategy.