Bonsai-inspired AIE nanohybrid photosensitizer based on vermiculite nanosheets for ferroptosis-assisted oxygen self-sufficient photodynamic cancer therapy

• DOI: 10.1016/j.nantod.2022.101477
• Publication Date: 2022-03-30T13:37:08Z
• Authors: Xinghua Yu; Ying-Chuan Zhang; Xing Yang; Ziyang Huang; Tianfu Zhang; Liusi Yang; Wenjing Meng; Xiaotong Liu; Ping Gong; Alessandra Forni; Zheng Zheng; Bilu Liu; Pengfei Zhang; Lintao Cai; Ben Zhong Tang
• Keywords: Aggregation-induced emission; Tumor microenvironment; Oxygen self-sufficient; Aggregation-induced emission, Vermiculite, Photodynamic therapy, Oxygen self-sufficient, Ferroptosis, Tumor microenvironment; Ferroptosis; Vermiculite; 01 natural sciences; Photodynamic therapy; 0104 chemical sciences

Oxygen-dependent photodynamic therapy (PDT) for cancer treatment based on aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen) photosensitizer shows limited efficiency in the hypoxic tumor micro environment (TME). To overcome tumor hypoxia-induced PDT resistance, a bonsai-inspired oxygen self- sufficient photodynamic cancer therapeutic system was developed based on AIEgen/vermiculite nanohybrid. Ultrathin nanosheets (NSs) were synthesized by lithium-ion intercalation from potting soil vermiculite for AIEgen photosensitizer (DCPy) loading through electrostatic attraction to produce NSs@DCPy (nano bonsai). When NSs@DCPy was absorbed by hypoxic the tumor and exposed to white light radiation, the NSs@DCPy could not only produce 1O2 and·OH but also catalyze the H2O2 to generate O2 for alleviating hypoxia significantly improving PDT efficacy. Surprisingly, NSs@DCPy could induce ferroptosis of the tumor by iron overload and depleting glutathione (GSH).