Atom-precise fluorescent copper cluster for tumor microenvironment targeting and transient chemodynamic cancer therapy

Abstract

Background Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been widely studied for cancer therapy. Nevertheless, instability and aspecific damages to cellular biomolecules limit the application effect. Recently, significant research efforts have been witnessed in the flourishing area of metal nanoclusters (NCs) with atomically precise structures for targeted release of ROS but few achieved success towards targeting tumor microenvironment. Results In this work, we reported an atomically precise nanocluster Cu6(C4H3N2S)6 (Cu6NC), which could slowly break and generate ROS once encountered with acidic. The as-prepared Cu6NC demonstrated high biological safety and efficient chemodynamic anti-tumor properties. Moreover, Cu6NC enabled transient release of ROS and contained targeting behavior led by the tumor microenvironment. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that Cu6NC demonstrated a low cytotoxicity for normal cells, while presented high cytotoxicity for tumor cells with a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusions This work not only reported a promising candidate for chemodynamic cancer therapy, but also paved the route to address clinical issues at the atomic level. Graphical Abstract

Copper/Cobalt-Loaded Carbon Nanostructures as Catalysts for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction

“…Illustrated lattice fringes (Figure f) and IFFT (Figure g,h) results reveal a lattice spacing of 0.208 nm, corresponding to the (111) planes of copper. And combining with the previous XRD data, it can be obtained that Cu is present in the carbon framework in the form of Cu clusters. , HADDF-EDS elemental mapping analysis (Figure i) strengthens the case for a uniform distribution of C, N, Co, and Cu on the carbon matrix. Integrating these findings with XRD spectra unambiguously confirms the chemical bonding of Co with the substrate.…”

Synergistic Effect of Ferroptosis‐Inducing Nanoparticles and X‐Ray Irradiation Combination Therapy

“…Therefore, to develop a treatment through ferroptosis in cancer nanomedicine, research on the possibility and performance of anticancer treatment using nanoparticles, as well as research on the mechanism of ferroptosis are continuously and actively being reported. [18][19][20][21][22][23] In clinical cancer treatment, X-rays are a commonly and widely used radiation therapy and have remained one of the standard cancer treatments for decades because of their good effectiveness. In fact, 50% of cancer patients receive radiation therapy, and even though it is the cornerstone of cancer treatment, complete response to cancer treatment is still challenging due to radiation resistance, remarking the necessity for radiosensitizers.…”

“…Therefore, to develop a treatment through ferroptosis in cancer nanomedicine, research on the possibility and performance of anticancer treatment using nanoparticles, as well as research on the mechanism of ferroptosis are continuously and actively being reported. [ 18–23 ]…”

Electron Orbital Hybridization‐Enhanced Copper‐Nanocatalysis for Anti‐Infection

“…[19,20] However, the high reactivity of surface atoms in most nanoclusters may result in autonomous aggregation in physiological environments, potentially reducing their overall catalytic activity. [21][22][23][24][25] Therefore, it remains an urgent challenge to design nanocatalysts that can realize effective CDT in complex physiological environments.…”