Self‐Propelled Asymmetrical Nanomotor for Self‐Reported Gas Therapy

Abstract

Gas therapy has emerged as a new therapeutic strategy in combating cancer owing to its high therapeutic efficacy and biosafety. However, the clinical translation of gas therapy remains challenging due to the rapid diffusion and limited tissue penetration of therapeutic gases. Herein, a self‐propelled, asymmetrical Au@MnO2 nanomotor for efficient delivery of therapeutic gas to deep‐seated cancer tissue for enhanced efficacy of gas therapy, is reported. The Au@MnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) catalyze endogenous H2O2 into O2 that propels NPs into deep solid tumors, where SO2 prodrug is released from the hollow NPs owing to the degradation of MnO2 shells. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) is conjugated onto the surface of Au via caspase‐3 responsive peptide (DEVD) and the therapeutic process of gas therapy can be optically self‐reported by the fluorescence of FITC that is turned on in the presence of overexpressed caspase‐3 as an apoptosis indicator. Au@MnO2 nanomotors show self‐reported therapeutic efficacy and high biocompatibility both in vitro and in vivo, offering important new insights to the design and development of novel nanomotors for efficient payload delivery into deep tumor tissue and in situ monitoring of the therapeutic process.

Lipophilic NO‐Driven Nanomotors as Drug Balloon Coating for the Treatment of Atherosclerosis

“…Compared with about the average velocity of 1 µm s –1 when showing obvious Brownian movement (Figure S8, Supporting Information), the average velocity of PMA nanomotors in the cellular environments after LPS‐stimulated could reach 3 µm s –1 ( Figure A,B). [ 35 ] In contrast, nonmotor PML NPs exhibited Brownian movement even in LPS‐stimulated HUVECs and Raw264.7 cellular environments (Movies S7 and S8, Supporting Information) with an average velocity of about 1 µm s –1 (Figure 3C,D). [ 36 ]…”

Intelligent Micro‐/Nanorobots for Cancer Theragnostic

“…The microrobots with hollow MnO 2 structures possessed efficient catalytic activity at low H 2 O 2 concentrations, enabling their enhanced diffusion and penetration into cell and tumor multicellular spheroids for improved chemodynamic therapy. [64] In addition, inspired by the behavior of chemotaxis, naturally occurring chemical gradients in living organisms, [21] such as in pH, [65][66][67] glucose, and H 2 O 2 , [68] provide suitable environments for the actuation of MNRs. For example, cube-shaped calcium carbonate microrobots functionalized with glucose oxidase and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles have been used for synergetic cancer treatment via chemo and starvation therapies The microrobots demonstrated self-propulsion based on a local concentration gradient of glucose; consumption of intracellular glucose hindered the biological function of cancer cells in glucose metabolism.…”

Glucose Metabolism Intervention-Facilitated Nanomedicine Therapy

“…Gas therapy appears to be an emerging and promising “green” therapeutic option due to its high efficacy, biosafety, and biocompatibility. 156 It utilizes specific gases, such as nitric oxide (NO), 157 carbon monoxide (CO), 158 , 159 hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), 160 and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), 161 to complement other treatments. However, it is a challenge to transport gases to defined areas for poor solubility, diffusivity, and inaccurate release.…”