# Nanocatalytic NO gas therapy against orthotopic oral squamous cell carcinoma by single iron atomic nanocatalysts

## TL;DR

Researchers developed a new cancer treatment using iron-based nanocatalysts that release nitric oxide gas to kill oral cancer cells with high selectivity and biocompatibility.

## Contribution

The study introduces single-atom iron nanocatalysts modified with a nitric oxide donor for synergistic cancer therapy.

## Key findings

- NIR laser triggers nitric oxide release and hydroxyl radical generation for tumor cell death.
- The treatment shows high therapeutic selectivity and efficacy against orthotopic oral cancer.
- The nanocatalytic approach demonstrates strong biocompatibility and antitumor potential.

## Abstract

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has been being one of the most malignant carcinomas featuring high metastatic and recurrence rates. The current OSCC treatment modalities in clinics severely deteriorate the quality of life of patients due to the impaired oral and maxillofacial functions. In the present work, we have engineered the single-atom Fe nanocatalysts (SAF NCs) with a NO donor (S-nitrosothiol, SNO) via surface modification to achieve synergistic nanocatalytic NO gas therapy against orthotopic OSCC. Upon near-infrared laser irradiation, the photonic hyperthermia could effectively augment the heterogeneous Fenton catalytic activity, meanwhile trigger the thermal decomposition of the engineered NO donor, thus producing toxic hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and antitumor therapeutic NO gas at tumor lesion simultaneously, and consequently inducing the apoptotic cell death of tumors via mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. This therapeutic paradigm presents an effective local OSCC therapeutics in a synergistic manner based on the nanocatalytic NO gas therapy, providing a promising antitumor modality with high biocompatibility.

In this work, we have engineered the NIR-triggered NO liberating donor module RSNO onto single-atom Fe nanocatalysts for synergized nanocatalytic therapy and NO gas therapy against orthotopic OSCC with high therapeutic selectivity, efficacy and biocompatibility.