Cascaded Amplifier Nanoreactor for Efficient Photodynamic Therapy

Abstract

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) utilizes reactive oxygen species (ROS) to treat established diseases and has attracted growing attention in the field of cancer therapy. However, in a tumor microenvironment (TME), the inherent hypoxia and high level of antioxidants severely hamper the efficacy of ROS generation. Here, we describe a cascaded amplifier nanoreactor based on self-assembled nanofusiforms for persistent oxygenation to amplify ROS levels. The nanofusiform assembly is capable of photothermal and photodynamic treatment and regulation of redox oxidation stress by antioxidant depletion to prevent ROS tolerance. The Pt nanozyme decoration of the nanofusiform enables efficient oxygen supplements <i>via</i> Pt nanozyme-catalyzed decomposition of H₂O₂ overexpressed in TME and generation of O₂. Furthermore, the temperature elevation resulted from the photothermal effect of the nanofusiform increases the catalase-like catalytic activity of the Pt nanozyme for boosted oxygen generation. Thus, such a triple cascade strategy using nanozyme-based nanofusiforms amplifies the ROS level by continuous oxygenation, enhancing the efficacy of PDT <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i>. Meanwhile, an <i>in vivo</i> multi-modal imaging including near-infrared fluorescence imaging, photothermal imaging, and magnetic resonance imaging achieves precise tumor diagnosis. The rationally designed nanofusiform acts as an efficient ROS amplifier through multidimension strengthening of continuous oxygenation, providing a potential smart nanodrug for cancer therapy.