In Situ Formed Z-Scheme Graphdiyne Heterojunction Realizes NIR-Photocatalytic Oxygen Evolution and Selective...

Area of Science:

• Nanomedicine
• Radiotherapy
• Cancer Therapy

Background:

• Photon radiotherapy faces challenges with tumor hypoxia-induced radioresistance and normal tissue toxicity.
• Existing therapeutic strategies often lack precise control over treatment delivery and selectivity.
• There is a need for innovative approaches to overcome limitations in current cancer radiotherapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a spatiotemporally controlled synergistic therapy platform for enhanced radiotherapy.
• To address tumor hypoxia and normal tissue radiotoxicity simultaneously using a novel nanocatalyst.
• To improve the efficacy and selectivity of cancer treatment through combined therapeutic modalities.

Main Methods:

• Construction of a heterostructured CuO@Graphdiyne (CuO@GDY) nanocatalyst.
• Utilizing near-infrared (NIR) laser stimulation for photocatalytic O2 evolution to alleviate tumor hypoxia.
• Employing X-ray stimulation of Cu+ active sites to accelerate Fenton-like catalysis for selective tumor cell killing.

Main Results:

• The Z-scheme CuO@GDY heterojunction demonstrated efficient and controlled photocatalytic O2 production upon NIR laser stimulation.
• X-ray stimulation of CuO@GDY nanocatalyst accelerated Fenton-like reactions, producing hydroxyl radicals (·OH) for targeted cancer cell destruction.
• The synergistic combination of NIR-triggered O2 production and X-ray-accelerated Fenton-like reactions led to comprehensive radiosensitization.

Conclusions:

• The CuO@GDY nanocatalyst platform offers a controllable and precise therapeutic modality for radiotherapy.
• This approach effectively overcomes tumor hypoxia and normal tissue non-selectivity in cancer treatment.
• The developed synergistic therapy holds significant promise for improving outcomes in cancer radiotherapy.