Light-Elicited and Oxygen-Saved Iridium Nanocapsule for Oxidative Damage Intensified Oncotherapy

Abstract

Regulating redox homeostasis in tumor cells and exploiting oxidative stress to damage tumors is an efficacious strategy for cancer therapy. However, the strengths of organic nanomaterials within this strategy are often ignored. In this work, a light-triggered reactive oxygen species (ROS) damaging nanoamplifier (IrP-T) was developed for enhanced photodynamic therapy (PDT). The IrP-T was fabricated with an amphiphilic iridium complex and a MTH1 inhibitor (TH287). Under green light stimulation, IrP-T catalyzed the oxygen in cells to generate ROS for realizing oxidative damage; meanwhile, TH287 increased the accumulation of 8-oxo-dGTP, further strengthening oxidative stress and inducing cell death. IrP-T could maximize the use of a small amount of oxygen, thus further boosting the efficacy of PDT in hypoxic tumors. The construction of nanocapsules provided a valuable therapeutic strategy for oxidative damage and synergizing PDT.

Targeting the nucleic acid oxidative damage repair enzyme MTH1: a promising therapeutic option

“…In the field of enhancing photodynamic therapy (PDT), researchers like Chen et al and Shao et al have made significant strides with their innovative approaches. Chen et al (2023) developed a novel nanoamplifier, termed IrP-T, which leverages the properties of an amphiphilic iridium complex and an MTH1 inhibitor (TH287). This nanoamplifier is designed to inflict ROS-induced damage when activated by light.…”