Photothermo‐Promoted Nanocatalysis Combined with H₂S‐Mediated Respiration Inhibition for Efficient Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Nanocatalytic medicine has emerged as a promising method for the specific cancer therapy by mediating the interaction between tumor microenvironment biomarkers and nanoagents. However, the produced antitumor cell killing molecules, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), by catalysis are insufficient to inhibit tumor growth. Herein, a novel kind of polyvinyl pyrrolidone modified multifunctional iron sulfide nanoparticles (Fe1−xS‐PVP NPs) is developed via a one‐step hydrothermal method, which exhibits high photothermal (PT) conversion efficiency (η = 24%) under the irradiation of 808 nm near‐infrared laser. The increased temperature further facilitates the Fenton reaction to generate abundant •OH radicals. More importantly, under an acidic (pH = 6.5) condition within tumor environment, the Fe1−xS‐PVP NPs can in situ produce H2S gas, which is evidenced to suppress the activity of enzyme cytochrome c oxidase (COX IV) in cancer cells, contributing to inhibit the growth of tumor. Both in vitro and in vivo results demonstrate that the H2S‐mediated gas therapy in combination with PT enhanced ROS achieves excellent antitumor performance, which can open up a new approach for the design of gas‐mediated cancer treatment.

Recent Advances in Nanomaterial‐Based Nanoplatforms for Chemodynamic Cancer Therapy

“…In another case, the chemodynamic agents (Fe 1‐x S‐PVP NPs) as H 2 S‐transmitters were developed for CDT enhanced and synergistic GT of tumors. [ 102 ] Compared with neutral solution, the Fe 1− x S‐PVP NPs, synthesized by a one‐step hydrothermal method, could release more Fe 2+ to catalyze Fenton reaction • OH generation in weak acidity (pH 6.5) for CDT, and the decomposition of NPs could be accelerated to promote CDT by 808 nm irradiation. More importantly, the NPs could also dissociate S 2− to combine with H + in the weak acidic condition to produce H 2 S for GT.…”

Chemodynamic nanomaterials for cancer theranostics

“…In a study using Fe 1−x S NPs, the increased temperature induced by NIR light irradiation prompted Fenton reaction-mediated •OH generation [ 226 ]. In addition, these NPs produced H 2 S gas in the acidic (pH = 6.5) TME, which suppressed the enzyme activity of cytochrome c oxidase to inhibit the tumor growth.…”

Engineering of bioactive metal sulfide nanomaterials for cancer therapy

“…However, as an endogenous signaling molecule, the roles of H 2 S in physiological and pathological processes are complex and diverse. Recently, Yang et al reported that the H 2 S gas released from PVP modified multifunctional iron sulfide nanoparticles (Fe 1 − x S-PVP NPs) could suppress the activity of enzyme cytochrome C oxidase of cancer cells and inhibit the tumor growth [ 140 ]. Furthermore, H 2 S could affect the function of mitochondrial through irreversible oxidation by sulfide-quinone oxidoreductase [ 135 ].…”