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Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Electroactive Polymer Nanoparticles Exhibiting Photothermal Properties
Published on: January 8, 2016
Semiconducting Polymer Nanoenzymes with Photothermic Activity for Enhanced Cancer Therapy
Jingchao Li1, Chen Xie1, Jiaguo Huang1
1School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637457, Singapore.
Abstract:
Regulation of enzyme activity is fundamentally challenging but practically meaningful for biology and medicine. However, noninvasive remote control of enzyme activity in living systems has been rarely demonstrated and exploited for therapy. Herein, we synthesize a semiconducting polymer nanoenzyme with photothermic activity for enhanced cancer therapy. Upon near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation, the activity of the nanoenzyme can be enhanced by 3.5-fold to efficiently digest collagen in the tumor extracellular matrix (ECM), leading to enhanced nanoparticle accumulation in tumors and consequently improved photothermal therapy (PTT). This study thus provides a promising strategy to remotely regulate enzyme activity for cancer therapy.
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