A novel CuCoS nanozyme for synergistic photothermal and chemodynamic therapy of tumors

Abstract

Because of low synthesis cost, facile fabrication, good stability, and controllable catalytic activities, nanozymes have been extensively studied and have been proven effective for cancer therapy. However, the relatively low catalytic activity at room temperature and single function of nanozymes limit their application in cancer treatment. Designing an efficient multifunctional nanozyme for cancer treatment is still urgent. Herein, novel and multifunctional CuCoS nanoparticles (CuCoS NPs) were rationally designed and successfully prepared. The CuCoS NPs not only exhibit an excellent photothermal conversion effect under 808 nm laser irradiation, but also act as a peroxidase and glutathione oxidase and perform H₂O₂ catalysis and GSH scavenging in tumor microenvironments. After laser irradiation, CuCoS NPs can rapidly increase the temperature through the excellent photothermal effect, and the elevated temperature improves the catalysis of CuCoS nanozymes, resulting in the breaking of the redox balance in cells through catalyzing H₂O₂ to produce ˙OH and depleting GSH to decrease the consumption of ˙OH, realizing a significant antitumor effect. This work provides a temperature-augmented multifunctional nanozyme for synergistic photothermal and chemodynamic therapy and contributes to the development of multifunctional nanomaterials by rational design.