High aspect ratio plasmonic Au/Ag nanorods-mediated NIR-II photothermally enhanced nanozyme catalytic cancer therapy

Xinyu Cui; Minghui Li; Lei Tong; Miaojing Li; Xuefeng Tang; Xiaojun Han

doi:10.1016/j.colsurfb.2023.113168

High aspect ratio plasmonic Au/Ag nanorods-mediated NIR-II photothermally enhanced nanozyme catalytic cancer therapy

Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces. 2023 Mar:223:113168. doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2023.113168. Epub 2023 Jan 21.

Authors

Xinyu Cui¹, Minghui Li², Lei Tong³, Miaojing Li⁴, Xuefeng Tang², Xiaojun Han⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health, Mudanjiang Medical University, No. 03, Tongxiang Street, Mudanjiang 157000, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 92, West Da-Zhi Street, Harbin 150001, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 92, West Da-Zhi Street, Harbin 150001, China.
³ Department of Pharmacy, Mudanjiang Medical University, No. 03, Tongxiang Street, Mudanjiang 157000, China.
⁴ School of Big Health and Intelligent Engineering, Chengdu Medical College, No. 783, Xindu Street, Chengdu 610500, China.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 92, West Da-Zhi Street, Harbin 150001, China. Electronic address: hanxiaojun@hit.edu.cn.

PMID: 36724564
DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2023.113168

Abstract

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) is based on the endogenous generation of cytotoxic hydroxyl free radicals (·OH) with high specificity and selectivity between cancer and normal cells. However, its efficacy is often limited by the relatively deficient catalytic activity of nanozymes in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Therefore, the combination of CDT with other strategy to realize synergistic therapy is necessary. Herein, a versatile plasmonic Au/Ag nanorods (abbreviated as Au/Ag NRs) via anisotropic Ag overgrowth on Au nanobipyramids was rationally devised to achieve synergistic nanozyme catalytic therapy and near infrared II (NIR-II) light induced photothermal therapy (PTT) with the guidance of computed tomography (CT) imaging. As TME contains high concentrations of H⁺ and H₂O₂, Au/Ag NRs exhibited peroxidase (POD) activity to catalyze H₂O₂ to produce ·OH, inducing cancer cell death. Meanwhile, Au/Ag NRs showed a preeminent NIR-II photothermal effect. More importantly, the enhanced ·OH generation by in-situ heating up resulting from PTT could conversely inhibit the expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs) to abate their resistance to PTT, realizing self-augmented synergistic effect. The NIR-II photothermally enhanced nanozyme catalytic cancer therapy validly inhibited the cancer proliferation, as demonstrated via both cell and animal assays. Moreover, ideal high-contrast CT imaging was realized, owing to the X-ray attenuation capability of elemental Au. The multifunctional Au/Ag NRs hold potential in oncotherapy with imaging capability, high efficiency and low side effects.

Keywords: Catalytic therapy; Heat shock proteins; Noble metals; Photothermal therapy; Theranostics.

MeSH terms

Animals
Antineoplastic Agents* / pharmacology
Cell Line, Tumor
Hydrogen Peroxide
Nanotubes*
Neoplasms* / therapy
Phototherapy
Tumor Microenvironment

Substances

Hydrogen Peroxide
Antineoplastic Agents