Zn0.4Mg0.6Fe2O4 nanoenzyme: a novel chemo-sensitizer for the chemotherapy treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Hypoxic and acidic environments are the two main components of the microenvironment contributing to the poor efficacy of chemotherapy drugs in the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In this study, we synthesized a series of Zn_1–xMg_xFe₂O₄ nanomaterials with enzyme-like properties, including catalase (CAT)-like, peroxidase (POD)-like, and glutathione (GSH)-like activity in an acidic environment. Among them, Zn_0.4Mg_0.6Fe₂O₄ performed the best and effectively increased the efficacy of doxorubicin (DOX) chemotherapy for the treatment of OSCC with reduced cardiotoxicity. Therefore, Zn_0.4Mg_0.6Fe₂O₄ could serve as a novel chemosensitizer in the treatment of OSCC.