The Polymer Society of Korea

류연수 (건국대학교)

박주호 (건국대학교)

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent cell death pathway driven by lipid peroxidation, but its therapeutic application is limited by low redox efficiency and off-target toxicity. Here, we developed heparin-derived metal coordination nanoparticles (HDMC NPs) using catechol–Fe³⁺–drug coordination as a polymer-based supramolecular drug delivery platform. Catechol-modified heparin forms stable complexes with Fe³⁺, enabling nanoscale self-assembly. Doxorubicin (DOX) directly coordinates to Fe³⁺ centers, providing high drug-loading efficiency and stability under physiological conditions. HDMC NPs exhibit pH-responsive disassembly in acidic environments and promote sustained redox cycling, enhancing ROS generation and ferroptotic stress. In vivo, HDMC NPs suppress tumor growth and induce immunogenic cell death with increased calreticulin exposure and CD8⁺ T cell infiltration.