Nanocatalytic NO gas therapy against orthotopic oral squamous cell carcinoma by single iron atomic nanocatalysts

• Published in: Science and technology of advanced materials Vol. 25; no. 1; p. 2368452
• Main Authors: Xie, Yuting, Zuo, Jiaxin, Ding, Angang, Xiong, Ping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis Ltd 2024; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Bio-Inspired and Biomedical Materials; Biocompatibility; Catalytic activity; Cell death; Hydroxyl radicals; Hyperthermia; Infrared lasers; Iron; nanocatalytic therapy; nitric oxide; oral squamous cell carcinoma therapy; Single-atom catalyst; Squamous cell carcinoma; Therapy; Thermal decomposition; nitric oxide; nanocatalytic therapy; oral squamous cell carcinoma therapy; Single-atom catalyst
• ISSN: 1468-6996; 1878-5514
• DOI: 10.1080/14686996.2024.2368452

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has been being one of the most malignant carcinomas featuring high metastatic and recurrence rates. The current OSCC treatment modalities in clinics severely deteriorate the quality of life of patients due to the impaired oral and maxillofacial functions. In the present work, we have engineered the single-atom Fe nanocatalysts (SAF NCs) with a NO donor (S-nitrosothiol, SNO) via surface modification to achieve synergistic nanocatalytic NO gas therapy against orthotopic OSCC. Upon near-infrared laser irradiation, the photonic hyperthermia could effectively augment the heterogeneous Fenton catalytic activity, meanwhile trigger the thermal decomposition of the engineered NO donor, thus producing toxic hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and antitumor therapeutic NO gas at tumor lesion simultaneously, and consequently inducing the apoptotic cell death of tumors via mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. This therapeutic paradigm presents an effective local OSCC therapeutics in a synergistic manner based on the nanocatalytic NO gas therapy, providing a promising antitumor modality with high biocompatibility.