Two-dimensional nanomaterial-based photothermal therapy (PTT) is currently under intensive investigation as a promising approach toward curative cancer treatment. However, high toxicity, moderate efficacy, and low uniformity in shape remain critical unresolved issues that hamper their clinical application. Thus, there is an urgent need for developing versatile nanomaterials to meet clinical expectations. To achieve this goal, we developed a stable, highly uniform in size, and nontoxic nanomaterials made of tellurium-selenium (TeSe)–based lateral heterojunction. Systemic delivery of TeSe nanoparticles in mice showed highly specific accumulation in tumors relative to other healthy tissues. Upon exposure to light, TeSe nanoparticles nearly completely eradicated lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma in preclinical models. Consistent with tumor suppression, PTT altered the tumor microenvironment and induced immense cancer cell apoptosis. Together, our findings demonstrate an exciting and promising PTT-based approach for cancer eradication.
Optoelectronic science and 2D nanomaterial technologies are currently at the forefront of multidisciplinary research and have numerous applications in electronics and photonics. The unique energy and optically induced interfacial electron transfer in these nanomaterials, enabled by their relative band alignment characteristics, can provide important therapeutic modalities for healthcare. Given that nano‐heterostructures can facilitate photoinduced electron–hole separation and enhance generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), 2D nano‐heterostructure‐based photosensitizers can provide a major advancement in photodynamic therapy (PDT), to overcome the current limitations in hypoxic tumor microenvironments. Herein, a bismuthene/bismuth oxide (Bi/BiOx)‐based lateral nano‐heterostructure synthesized using a regioselective oxidation process is introduced, which, upon irradiation at 660 nm, effectively generates 1O2 under normoxia but produces cytotoxic •OH and H2 under hypoxia, which synergistically enhances PDT. Furthermore, this Bi/BiOx nano‐heterostructure is biocompatible and biodegradable, and, with the surface molecular engineering used here, it improves tumor tissue penetration and increases cellular uptake during in vitro and in vivo experiments, yielding excellent oxygen‐independent tumor ablation with 660 nm irradiation, when compared with traditional PDT agents.
Tumor vaccines are a promising form of cancer immunotherapy, but difficulties, such as neo-antigen identification, activation of immune cells, and tumor infiltration prevent their clinical breakthrough. Interestingly, nanotechnology-based photothermal therapy...
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