Multifaceted nanozymes for synergistic antitumor therapy: A review

Abstract

Although various cancer therapies have been developed in the last decade, much of their anti-tumor effects are restricted by the tumor microenvironment complexity, such as the hypoxia in photodynamic therapy and sonodynamic therapy, and the poor penetration of radiosensitizers in radiotherapy. The development of multifunctional nanozymes that combines the physiochemical properties of nanomaterials (e.g. special optical transformation properties) and catalytic activities of enzymes (mainly including superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and oxidase) can provide promising weapons for enhancing antitumor efficiency. Importantly, some types of nanozymes can also act as ideal nanocarriers for improving therapeutic reagent delivery, especially in tumor immunotherapy. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in multifunctional nanozymes with an emphasis on their applications in catalytic therapy combined with immunotherapy, phototherapy, sonodynamic therapy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. We believe this review will provide theoretical and technical support for the subsequent development of nanozyme-based antitumor reagents and inspire novel therapeutic strategies for efficient tumor therapy.