Cu–Tremella fuciformis polysaccharide–based tumor microenvironment–responsive injectable gels for cuproptosis-based synergistic osteosarcoma therapy

Cuproptosis affects osteosarcoma locally, and the exploitation of cuproptosis-related biomaterials for osteosarcoma treatment is still in its infancy. We designed and synthesized a novel injectable gel of Cu ion–coordinated Tremella fuciformis polysaccharide (TFP–Cu) for antiosteosarcoma therapy. This material has antitumor effects, the ability to stimulate immunity and promote bone formation, and a controlled Cu 2+ release profile in smart response to tumor microenvironment stimulation. TFP–Cu can selectively inhibit the proliferation of K7M2 tumor cells by arresting the cell cycle and promoting cell apoptosis and cuproptosis. TFP–Cu also promoted the M1 polarization of RAW264.7 cells and regulated the immune microenvironment. These effects increased osteogenic gene and protein expression in MC3T3-E1 cells. TFP–Cu could significantly limit tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice by inducing tumor cell apoptosis and improving the activation of anti-CD8 T cell-mediated immune responses. Therefore, TFP–Cu could be a potential candidate for treating osteosarcoma and bioactive drug carrier for further cancer-related applications.