Photocatalytic CO-releasing spray hydrogel for in situ postoperative cancer treatment.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40837871.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2025.07.024 and PMC identifier 12362012.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The high invasiveness and metastatic potential of breast cancer increase the risk of postoperative recurrence. To address this issue, a composite hydrogel drug delivery system based on sodium alginate (SA) has been developed for the in situ release of carbon monoxide (CO) at the tumor resection site. This system aims to enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy and improve the clearance of residual tumor cells after surgery, thereby preventing tumor recurrence and metastasis. A gold nanoparticle-modified g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> nanophotocatalyst (C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/Au) has been designed to convert CO<sub>2</sub> within the tumor into CO under visible light irradiation. The C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/Au is loaded into an SA hydrogel and applied to the postoperative incision in a spray form. The rapid crosslinking reaction between SA and Ca<sup>2+</sup> forms a network structure, enabling precise drug delivery. CO is generated in situ in the postoperative tumor tissue under light stimulation and is combined with folic acid (FA) modified doxorubicin (DOX) micelles (FA@DM) to achieve effective synergy between CO therapy and chemotherapy. The composite hydrogel drug delivery system not only increases the concentration of CO within the tumor and reduces systemic toxicity but also enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy by increasing oxidative stress within tumor cells. It provides a new and safe strategy for efficient and precise postoperative tumor treatment, reducing the risk of tumor recurrence and metastasis.