PdH0.2 nanocrystals demonstrate promising potential for cancer treatment through synergistic hydrogenothermal therapy, combining NIR-controlled hydrogen release with photothermal effects and photoacoustic imaging guidance. This approach achieves tumor-selective treatment with limited systemic toxicity, representing a novel strategy for enhanced cancer therapy by leveraging hydrogen generation and photothermal conversion at the tumor site.
Plain-Language Summary
Researchers engineered tiny particles made of palladium and hydrogen that can be directed to tumors and activated by near-infrared light (a type of light invisible to the eye). When activated, these particles release hydrogen gas and generate heat at the tumor site, while also providing imaging guidance. In cell culture experiments, this approach showed promise for selectively damaging cancer cells while limiting harm to healthy tissue.
Abstract
By delivering the concept of clean hydrogen energy and green catalysis to the biomedical field, engineering of hydrogen-generating nanomaterials for treatment of major diseases holds great promise. Leveraging virtue of versatile abilities of Pd hydride nanomaterials in high/stable hydrogen storage, self-catalytic hydrogenation, near-infrared (NIR) light absorption and photothermal conversion, here we utilize the cubic PdH0.2 nanocrystals for tumour-targeted and photoacoustic imaging (PAI)-guided hydrogenothermal therapy of cancer. The synthesized PdH0.2 nanocrystals have exhibited high intratumoural accumulation capability, clear NIR-controlled hydrogen release behaviours, NIR-enhanced self-catalysis bio-reductivity, high NIR-photothermal effect and PAI performance. With these unique properties of PdH0.2 nanocrystals, synergetic hydrogenothermal therapy with limited systematic toxicity has been achieved by tumour-targeted delivery and PAI-guided NIR-controlled release of bio-reductive hydrogen as well as generation of heat. This hydrogenothermal approach has presented a cancer-selective strategy for synergistic cancer treatment.
