Local generation of hydrogen for enhanced photothermal therapy

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.

Study details

Article type

Original Research

Disease / injury model

Cancer (breast, cervical, melanoma)

Duration

15 days

Dose comparison

The study examines concentration-dependent effects of PdH0.2 nanocrystals (12.5–200 μg/mL) and NIR power density (0.2, 0.5, 1.0 W/cm2) on hydrogen release, photothermal effect, and cytotoxicity.

Dose-dependent effect

Yes

Outcome

Positive

Findings

The study demonstrates that PdH0.2 nanocrystals enable tumor-targeted, NIR-controlled release of hydrogen and heat, resulting in synergistic hydrogenothermal therapy with significant anticancer efficacy and minimal toxicity to normal tissues. The approach selectively enhances cancer cell death while protecting normal cells, offering a promising and safe strategy for cancer treatment.