Boron-Based Nanosheets for Ultrasound-Mediated Synergistic Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT), one of the rising non-invasiveness methods relying on ultrasound-stimulated reactive oxygen species (ROS), has emerged as a cancer therapeutic approach aiming to eliminate deep-seated solid tumors. It remains challenging for the integration of sensitive US responsivity, high quantum yield for ROS, low toxicity and appropriate bio-degradability into one sonosensitizer. Here, the two-dimensional (2D) boron-based B-OH@Cy5-PEG-NH2 nanosheets (BOP NSs) as a new type of sonosensitizer are synthesized via liquid exfoliation technology and adopted in SDT therapy. These BOP NSs expose an elevated US-stimulated severance of electron (e-)-hole (h+) pairs, attributing to the narrower band gap than other nano-sonosensitizers. Moreover, we investigate other undeveloped features of BOP NSs such as attractive peroxidase-like activity and beneficial biological effects of biodegradation. Experiments both in vitro/vivo exhibit significant therapeutic effects against tumor growth due to the elevated ROS generation by the combination treatment of US-based SDT and enzyme catalytic reaction. It is believed that such BOP NSs highly united with multifunctionality and great biodegradability can be wildly directed at cancer therapy and expand a brand new route for the utility of 2D boron NSs.