Optical Fiber-Enabled In Situ Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation for Infiltrating Tumor Therapy in Brain

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Oncology

Background:

• Inhibiting tumor cell infiltration is crucial for treating malignant tumors.
• Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor characterized by significant infiltration.
• Developing novel therapeutic strategies to target tumor cell invasion and stemness is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize a novel photocatalyst for targeted glioblastoma therapy.
• To investigate the efficacy of hydrogen (H2) gas therapy initiated by near-infrared (NIR) light in treating GBM.
• To explore the mechanism by which H2 therapy affects glioma stem cells and tumor infiltration.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a pCNMC@Pt photocatalyst using protonated graphitic carbon nitride, manganese dioxide, chlorin e6, and platinum nanoparticles.
• Utilizing a Z-scheme structure and NIR photosensitizer for light-activated H2 generation.
• Employing lactic acid in the tumor microenvironment as a sacrificial reagent for H2 production.
• Developing a co-localized loading and illumination system for precise treatment delivery in a mouse model of GBM.

Main Results:

• The pCNMC@Pt photocatalyst effectively generates H2 upon NIR light irradiation.
• NIR-activated H2 therapy significantly impedes glioblastoma growth and infiltration in vivo.
• H2 was found to suppress the stemness of glioma stem cells, reducing their proliferation and infiltration capabilities.
• Efficient treatment of GBM in mouse brains was achieved using the localized system.

Conclusions:

• A novel NIR-activated photocatalyst enables effective H2 gas therapy for glioblastoma.
• H2 therapy suppresses glioma stemness, proliferation, and infiltration, offering a promising treatment strategy.
• This approach provides an alternative gas therapy for effectively treating infiltrating brain tumors.