Issue 42, 2020

Carbon nanocage-based nanozyme as an endogenous H2O2-activated oxygenerator for real-time bimodal imaging and enhanced phototherapy of esophageal cancer

Abstract

Intelligent phototherapy by theranostic nanosystems that can be activated by a tumor microenvironment has high sensitivity and specificity. However, hypoxia and low drug accumulation in tumors greatly limit its clinical application. Herein, we have designed a cage-like carbon-manganese nanozyme, which effectively relieves tumor hypoxia and delivers numerous photosensitizers (PSs) to the tumor site, for real-time imaging and enhanced phototherapy of esophageal cancer. Specifically, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as a template and reducing agent for preparing a BSA-MnO2 nanozyme; then a BSA-MnO2/IR820@OCNC (BMIOC) nanosystem was successfully synthesized by crosslinking BSA-MnO2 on the surface of IR820-loaded carboxylated carbon nanocages (OCNCs). Abundant PSs were successfully delivered to tumor sites via hollow OCNCs, and the final loading rate of IR820 reached 42.8%. The intratumor BMIOC nanosystem can be initiated by a tumor microenvironment to switch on its magnetic resonance (MR) imaging signal, and photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) functions. Notably, the BSA-MnO2 nanozyme, with intrinsic catalase (CAT)-like activity, catalyzed endogenous H2O2 for oxygen generation to overcome tumor hypoxia and enhance PDT, thereby leading to more efficient therapeutic effects in combination with OCNC-elevated PTT. In addition, the H2O2-activated and acid-enhanced properties enable our nanosystem to be specific to tumors, protecting normal tissues from damage. By integrating a high drug loading capacity, a hypoxia regulation function, an enlarged phototherapy effect, and bimodal imaging into a nanozyme-mediated nanoreactor, this work realizes a “one for all” system and represents promising clinical translation for efficient esophageal cancer theranostics.

Graphical abstract: Carbon nanocage-based nanozyme as an endogenous H2O2-activated oxygenerator for real-time bimodal imaging and enhanced phototherapy of esophageal cancer

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 Aug 2020
Accepted
11 Oct 2020
First published
12 Oct 2020

Nanoscale, 2020,12, 21674-21686

Carbon nanocage-based nanozyme as an endogenous H2O2-activated oxygenerator for real-time bimodal imaging and enhanced phototherapy of esophageal cancer

J. Liu, J. Gao, A. Zhang, Y. Guo, S. Fan, Y. He, K. Yang, J. Wang, D. Cui and Y. Cheng, Nanoscale, 2020, 12, 21674 DOI: 10.1039/D0NR05945E

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