Cold-Driven Thermoelectric Patch for Postoperative Tumor Control.

Abstract

Postoperative tumor management faces persistent challenges, including residual tumor survival, immune suppression, and impaired wound healing. Surgical resection eliminates the primary lesion but simultaneously removes the continuous antigen source required for sustained immune activation, leaving the postoperative microenvironment vulnerable to recurrence and metastasis. Here, a flexible wearable cold-catalytic patch is constructed by integrating thermoelectric nanorods, enzymatic components, and a zwitterionic hydrogel, enabling synergistic immune activation and enhanced tissue repair. Localized cold stimulation triggers thermoelectrocatalytic generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, enabling sustained release of bioactive molecules that promote antigen presentation, amplify inflammatory cytokine secretion, and enhance immune cell infiltration. Concurrently, the thermoelectrical cues and NO signaling produced during cold catalysis stimulate fibroblast migration, angiogenesis, and extracellular matrix remodeling, thereby accelerating postoperative wound closure. <i>In vivo</i> studies demonstrate that this platform effectively suppresses residual tumor proliferation and distant metastasis while markedly improving healing quality. This work reports a unified thermoelectrocatalytic strategy that couples immune cascade activation with enhanced tissue repair, offering a broadly applicable paradigm for next-generation postoperative tumor therapy.