Gold-Cerium bimetallic Star-Shaped nanoplatform for synergistic tumor therapy with nanozyme Catalytic/Photothermal/Chemotherapy

A gold-cerium bimetallic asteroid nanoplatform (CeO2@GNSs/Myr-HA) was obtained by electrostatically adsorbing ultra-small cerium dioxide (CeO2) onto gold nanostars (GNSs) and further loading myricetin (Myr) and hyaluronic acid (HA). This nanoplatform exhibited three types of enzymatic properties-that is, GOD (glucoseoxidase), POD (peroxidase) and GSH-Ox (glutathione oxidase) mimicking catalytic activities. These enzymatic properties work together to effectively induce apoptosis in tumor cells. HA targets the CD44 receptor, which is located on the surface of tumor cells, leading to the further release of CeO2@GNSs/Myr into the cytosol. Myr functions as a chemical agent that inhibits the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), thereby suppressing tumor cell angiogenesis via the p38/MAPK signaling pathway. When exposed to light radiation of 808-nm wavelength, the nanomaterials aggregated at the tumor site efficiently absorbed photons and converted them into thermal energy, enabling the precise thermal ablation of the malignancy. Moreover, CeO2@GNSs/Myr- HA-as a multifunctional nanoplatform combining nanozyme catalytic therapy with photothermal therapy and chemotherapy-demonstrated the synergistic effect of effectively suppressing cancer cell proliferation and enhancing tumor ablation.