Multifunctional HfSe₂@TA/Fe³⁺ nanosheets for cancer therapy: Synergistic radiosensitization, photothermal ablation, and selenium-mediated radioprotection

Radiotherapy (RT) remains a cornerstone in cancer treatment, yet its efficacy is often limited by tumor hypoxia, radiation resistance, and off-target toxicity. To address these challenges, we developed a multifunctional therapeutic approach based on tannic acid/Fe³⁺-modified hafnium selenide nanosheets (HfSe₂@TA/Fe³⁺, HTF). HTF combines high-Z element Hafnium (Hf) enhanced X-ray attenuation with tumor microenvironment (TME)-activated catalytic and photothermal properties. Fe³⁺ can catalyze the in-situ decomposition of H₂O₂ within tumors to generate O₂ and alleviate hypoxia. Meanwhile, the produced Fe²⁺ initiates the Fenton reaction to produce hydroxyl radicals (·OH), which further induce tumor cell apoptosis. The in vivo studies revealed synergistic RT, photothermal therapy (PTT) and chemodynamic therapy (CDT) efficacy (RT/PTT/CDT), achieving 68.5 % tumor volume reduction in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice. Notably, HTF alleviated radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis and restored immune homeostasis by normalizing WBC counts and cytokine levels. This work establishes HTF as a theranostic platform that simultaneously enhances tumor radiosensitivity and protects normal tissues, offering a transformative strategy for precision oncology.