Biotechnology

Organelle

Nanotechnology

Organic chemistry

In vivo

Combinatorial chemistry

Biology

Biophysics

Catalysis

Chemistry

Materials science

Biocompatibility

Cycloaddition

Azide

Drug delivery

Biochemistry

Click chemistry

Bioorthogonal chemistry

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

As a typical bioorthogonal reaction, the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) has been used for drug design and synthesis. However, for localized drug synthesis, it is important to be able to determine where the CuAAC reaction occurs in living cells. In this study, we constructed a heterogeneous copper catalyst on a metal-organic framework that could preferentially accumulate in the mitochondria of living cells. Our system enabled the localized synthesis of drugs through a site-specific CuAAC reaction in mitochondria with good biocompatibility. Importantly, the subcellular catalytic process for localized drug synthesis avoided the problems of the delivery and distribution of toxic molecules. In vivo tumor therapy experiments indicated that the localized synthesis of resveratrol-derived drugs led to greater antitumor efficacy and minimized side effects usually associated with drug delivery and distribution.

A Biocompatible Heterogeneous MOF–Cu Catalyst for In Vivo Drug Synthesis in Targeted Subcellular Organelles