Self-assembled copper-based nanoparticles for enzyme catalysis-enhanced chemodynamic/photodynamic/antiangiogenic tritherapy against hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Abstract As an emerging cancer treatment strategy, reactive oxygen species-based tumor catalytic therapies face enormous challenges due to hypoxia and the overexpression of glutathione (GSH) in the tumor microenvironment. Herein, a self-assembled copper-based nanoplatform, TCCHA, was designed for enzyme-like catalysis-enhanced chemodynamic/photodynamic/antiangiogenic tritherapy against hepatocellular carcinoma. TCCHA was fabricated from Cu2+, 3,3′-dithiobis (propionohydrazide), and photosensitizer chlorine e6 via a facile one-pot self-assembly strategy, after which an aldehyde hyaluronic acid was coated, followed by loading of the antivascular drug AL3818. The obtained TCCHA nanoparticles exhibited pH/GSH dual-responsive drug release behaviors and multienzymatic activities, including Fenton, glutathione peroxidase-, and catalase-like activities. TCCHA, a redox homeostasis disruptor, promotes ⋅OH generation and GSH depletion, thus increasing the efficacy of chemodynamic therapy. TCCHA, which has catalase-like activity, can also reinforce the efficacy of photodynamic therapy by amplifying O2 production. In vivo, TCCHA efficiently inhibited tumor angiogenesis and suppressed tumor growth without apparent systemic toxicity. Overall, this study presents a facile strategy for the preparation of multienzyme-like nanoparticles, and TCCHA nanoparticles display great potential for enzyme catalysis-enhanced chemodynamic/photodynamic/antiangiogenic triple therapy against cancer. Graphical Abstract

Keywords

• Reactive oxygen species
• Coordination self-assembly
• Copper nanozyme
• Antiangiogenesis
• Synergistic therapy