Cancer

Biophysics

Internal medicine

Biotechnology

Nanoparticle

Biosensor

Nanotechnology

Organic chemistry

Photothermal therapy

Chemistry

Nanoreactor

Materials science

In vivo

Glucose oxidase

Singlet oxygen

Metastasis

Photodynamic therapy

Photosensitizer

Cancer research

Hydrogen peroxide

Oxygen

Biochemistry

Medicine

Photochemistry

Biology

Cancer cell

Nature Communications

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is ineffective against deeply seated metastatic tumors due to poor penetration of the excitation light. Herein, we developed a biomimetic nanoreactor (bio-NR) to achieve synergistic chemiexcited photodynamic-starvation therapy against tumor metastasis. Photosensitizers on the hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) are excited by chemical energy in situ of the deep metastatic tumor to generate singlet oxygen (1O2) for PDT, and glucose oxidase (GOx) catalyzes glucose into hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Remarkably, this process not only blocks the nutrient supply for starvation therapy but also provides H2O2 to synergistically enhance PDT. Cancer cell membrane coating endows the nanoparticle with biological properties of homologous adhesion and immune escape. Thus, bio-NRs can effectively convert the glucose into 1O2 in metastatic tumors. The excellent therapeutic effects of bio-NRs in vitro and in vivo indicate their great potential for cancer metastasis therapy.

A biomimetic nanoreactor for synergistic chemiexcited photodynamic therapy and starvation therapy against tumor metastasis