Unveiling the interplay between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic mechanisms in copper-iron nanoparticles working under chemically relevant tumour conditions

Tailored Metal-Based Catalysts: A New Platform for Targeted Anticancer Therapies

Innovative strategies for targeted anticancer therapies have gained significant momentum, with metal complexes emerging as tunable catalysts for more effective and safer treatments. Rational design and engineering of metal complexes enable the development of tailored molecular structures optimized for precision oncology. The strategic incorporation of metal complex catalysts within combinatorial therapies amplifies their anticancer properties. This perspective highlights the advancements in synthetic strategies and rational design since 2019, showing how tailored metal catalysts are optimized by designing structures to release or in situ synthesize active drugs, leveraging the target-specific characteristics to develop more precise cancer therapies. This review explores metal-based catalysts, including those conjugated with biomolecules, nanostructures, and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), highlighting their catalytic activity in biological environments and their in vitro/in vivo performance. To sum up, the potential of metal complexes as catalysts to reshape the landscape of anticancer therapies and foster novel avenues for therapeutic advancement is emphasized.

Nanoparticle-Catalyzed Transamination under Tumor Microenvironment Conditions: A Novel Tool to Disrupt the Pool of Amino Acids and GSSG in Cancer Cells

Catalytic cancer therapy targets cancer cells by exploiting the specific characteristics of the tumor microenvironment (TME). TME-based catalytic strategies rely on the use of molecules already present in the TME. Amino groups seem to be a suitable target, given the abundance of proteins and peptides in biological environments. Here we show that catalytic CuFe2O4 nanoparticles are able to foster transaminations with different amino acids and pyruvate, another key molecule present in the TME. We observed a significant in cellulo decrease in glutamine and alanine levels up to 48 h after treatment. In addition, we found that di- and tripeptides also undergo catalytic transamination, thereby extending the range of the effects to other molecules such as glutathione disulfide (GSSG). Mechanistic calculations for GSSG transamination revealed the formation of an imine between the oxo group of pyruvate and the free -NH2 group of GSSG. Our results highlight transamination as alternative to the existing toolbox of catalytic therapies.

Tumor-activated in situ synthesis of single-atom catalysts for O2-independent photodynamic therapy based on water-splitting

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have attracted interest in photodynamic therapy (PDT), while they are normally limited by the side effects on normal tissues and the interference from the Tumor Microenvironment (TME). Here we show a TME-activated in situ synthesis of SACs for efficient tumor-specific water-based PDT. Upon reduction by upregulated GSH in TME, C3N4-Mn SACs are obtained in TME with Mn atomically coordinated into the cavity of C3N4 nanosheets. This in situ synthesis overcomes toxicity from random distribution and catalyst release in healthy tissues. Based on the Ligand-to-Metal charge transfer (LMCT) process, C3N4-Mn SACs exhibit enhanced absorption in the red-light region. Thereby, a water-splitting process is induced by C3N4-Mn SACs under 660 nm irradiation, which initiates the O2-independent generation of highly toxic hydroxyl radical (·OH) for cancer-specific PDT. Subsequently, the ·OH-initiated lipid peroxidation process is demonstrated to devote effective cancer cell death. The in situ synthesized SACs facilitate the precise cancer-specific conversion of inert H2O to reactive ·OH, which facilitates efficient cancer therapy in female mice. This strategy achieves efficient and precise cancer therapy, not only avoiding the side effects on normal tissues but also overcoming tumor hypoxia.

Tempol alleviates acute lung injury by affecting glutathione synthesis through Nrf2 and inhibiting ferroptosis in lung epithelial cells

As a life-threatening disease, acute lung injury (ALI) may progress to chronic pulmonary fibrosis. For the treatment of lung injury, Tempol is a superoxide dismutase mimetic and intracellular redox agent that can be a potential drug. This study investigated the regulatory mechanism of Tempol in the treatment of ALI. A mouse model of ALI was established, and HE staining was used to examine histomorphology. The CCK-8 assay was used to measure cell viability, and oxidative stress was assessed by corresponding kits. Flow cytometry and dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate staining assays were used to detect reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Protein expression levels were measured by Western blot analysis and ELISA. Pulmonary vascular permeability was used to measure the lung wet/dry weight ratio. The level of oxidative stress was increased in ALI mice, and the level of ferroptosis was upregulated. Tempol inhibited this effect and alleviated ALI. The administration of Tempol alleviated the pathological changes in ALI, inhibited pulmonary vascular permeability, and improved lung injury in ALI mice. The upregulation of genes essential for glutathione (GSH) metabolism induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was inhibited by Tempol. In addition, nuclear factor-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is activated by Tempol therapy to regulate the de novo synthesis pathway of GSH, thereby alleviating LPS-induced lung epithelial cell damage. The results showed that Tempol alleviated ALI by activating the Nrf2 pathway to inhibit oxidative stress and ferroptosis in lung epithelial cells. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that Tempol alleviates ALI by inhibiting ferroptosis in lung epithelial cells through the effect of Nrf2 on GSH synthesis.

Ultrathin 2D Pd/Cu Single-Atom MOF Nanozyme to Synergistically Overcome Chemoresistance for Multienzyme Catalytic Cancer Therapy

Single-atom nanozymes (SAzymes) have obtained increasing interest to mimic natural enzymes for efficient cancer therapy, while challenged by chemoresistance from cellular redox homeostasis and the interface of reductive species in tumor microenvironment (TME). Herein, a dual single-atomic ultrathin 2D metal organic framework (MOF) nanosheet of multienzyme (Pd/Cu SAzyme@Dzy) is prepared to synergistically overcome chemoresistance for multienzyme enhanced cancer catalytic therapy. The Pd SAzyme exhibits peroxidase (POD)-like catalytic activity for overcoming chemoresistance via disturbing cellular redox balance. This is further enhanced by cascade generation of more ∙OH via Cu+ -catalyzed POD-like reactions, initiated by in situ-reduction of Cu2+ into Cu+ upon GSH depletion. This process can also avoid the consumption of ∙OH by endogenous reductive GSH in TME, ensuring the adequate amount of ∙OH for highly efficient therapy. Besides, the DNAzyme is also delivered for gene therapy of silencing cancer-cell-targeting VEGFR2 protein to further enhance the therapy. Based on both experiments and theoretical calculations, the synergetic multienzyme-based cancer therapy is examined and the enhancement by the cascade tumor antichemoresistance is revealed.

Heterogeneous-Driven Glutathione Oxidation: Defining the Catalytic Role of Chalcopyrite Nanoparticles

Transition-metal nanocatalysis represents a novel alternative currently experiencing flourishing progress to tackle the tumor microenvironment (TME) in cancer therapy. These nanomaterials aim at attacking tumor cells using the intrinsic selectivity of inorganic catalysts. In addition, special attention to tune and control the release of these transition metals is also required. Understanding the chemical reactions behind the catalytic action of the transition-metal nanocatalysts and preventing potential undesired side reactions caused by acute cytotoxicity of the released ionic species represent another important field of research. Specifically, copper-based oxides may suffer from acute leaching that potentially may induce toxicity not only to target cancer cells but also to nearby cells and tissues. In this work, we propose the synthesis of chalcopyrite (CuFeS₂) nanostructures capable of triggering two key reactions for an effective chemodynamic therapy (CDT) in the heterogeneous phase: (i) glutathione (GSH) oxidation and (ii) oxidation of organic substrates using H₂O₂, with negligible leaching of metals under TME-like conditions. This represents an appealing alternative toward the development of safer copper-iron-based nanocatalytic materials with an active catalytic response without incurring leaching side phenomena.

Nanomedical research and development in Spain: improving the treatment of diseases from the nanoscale

The new and unique possibilities that nanomaterials offer have greatly impacted biomedicine, from the treatment and diagnosis of diseases, to the specific and optimized delivery of therapeutic agents. Technological advances in the synthesis, characterization, standardization, and therapeutic performance of nanoparticles have enabled the approval of several nanomedicines and novel applications. Discoveries continue to rise exponentially in all disease areas, from cancer to neurodegenerative diseases. In Spain, there is a substantial net of researchers involved in the development of nanodiagnostics and nanomedicines. In this review, we summarize the state of the art of nanotechnology, focusing on nanoparticles, for the treatment of diseases in Spain (2017-2022), and give a perspective on the future trends and direction that nanomedicine research is taking.