Synergistic anticancer theragnostic study of a core-shell structured galvanic cell

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) efficacy is limited by neutral tumor pH and protein corona formation.
• Existing CDT catalysts suffer reduced activity in physiological environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a core-shell CDT drug (FeCNB) that functions effectively under physiological pH.
• To mitigate the impact of protein corona on catalyst activity.
• To achieve synergistic cancer therapy using multiple modalities.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a Fe/Fe3C core with a mesoporous graphite carbon shell, modified with biotin (FeCNB).
• Utilizing galvanic cells formed by the core-shell structure for enhanced CDT.
• Investigating FeCNB's T2-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and photothermal therapy (PTT) capabilities.
• Assessing FeCNB's biocompatibility and degradation profile.

Main Results:

• FeCNB demonstrates high-efficiency CDT under physiological pH by forming galvanic cells.
• The mesoporous shell prevents protein corona interference, preserving catalyst activity.
• FeCNB exhibits T2-MRI contrast and synergistic PTT/CDT effects under laser irradiation.
• FeCNB shows excellent biocompatibility due to its in-situ degradation.

Conclusions:

• FeCNB represents a novel galvanic cell-based CDT drug design.
• The core-shell structure effectively addresses pH and protein corona limitations in CDT.
• FeCNB offers a promising platform for synergistic PTT/CDT cancer treatment with enhanced safety.