Although nanoparticles based on Group 8 elements such as Fe and Ru have been developed, not much is known about Os nanoparticles. However, Os-based nanostructures might have potential in various applications including biomedical fields. Therefore, in this study, we synthesized Os-Te nanorods (OsTeNRs) by solvothermal galvanic replacement with Te nanotemplates. We explored the nanozymatic activity of the synthesized OsTeNRs and found that they exhibited superior photothermal conversion and photocatalytic activity. Along with chemotherapy (regorafenib) and immunotherapy, the nanozymatic, photothermal, and photodynamic activities of OsTeNRs were harnessed to develop a pentamodal treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that the pentamodal therapy could alleviate hypoxia in HCC cells by generating oxygen and reduced unintended drug accumulation in organs. Moreover, bone-marrow toxicity due to regorafenib could be reduced as the drug was released in a sustained manner. Thus, OsTeNRs can be considered as suitable nanotemplates for combinatorial cancer therapy.
Keywords: combinatorial cancer therapy; drug delivery; nanozymes; osmium; photothermal conversion.