Dual active nanozyme-loaded MXene enables hyperthermia-enhanced tumor nanocatalytic therapy

Abstract

• Dual active nanozyme-loaded MXene Ti 3 C 2 /CeO 2 -PVP nanocomposites were prepared. • The 2D ultra-thin MXene enabled the dispersion and transport of the CeO 2 nanozymes. • The dual response of the internal tumor microenvironment and external photo-thermal stimulation was enabled. • Hyperthermia-enhanced enzyme activity for efficient tumor nanocatalytic therapy. Nanozymes, which have enzymatic activity and physicochemical properties of nanomaterials, have attracted extensive attention in the field of tumor therapy. However, the low activity of nanozymes in the tumor microenvironment leads to limited therapeutic effects. Here, we report an MXene-integrated nanozyme that exhibits dual catalytic activities, exerting synergistic effects to enhance tumor therapy. The MXene-integrated nanozyme consists of CeO 2 nanozymes with dual enzyme-like activities (simulating catalase and peroxidase) loaded on MXene. In such a construct, the catalase- and peroxidase-like activity of CeO 2 nanozymes alleviates hypoxia and elevates oxidative stress in the tumor microenvironment, and the overexpressed glutathione (GSH) is consumed by the redox reaction of CeO 2 nanozymes. The CeO 2 nanozyme-loaded MXene could couple the photothermal effect and dual enzyme-like activities, resulting in enhanced tumor nanocatalytic therapy with a tumor growth inhibition (TGI) effect of 92%. Dual active nanozyme-loaded MXene is a promising material for the development of nanozyme catalytic therapy in the future.