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Research Article | Open Access

Biocompatible copper single-atom site nanozyme for parallel tumor therapy

Haining Zhou1,§, Hui Peng5,§, Yugui Lian3, Ting Sun4 (), Chang Su2 (), Zhiyuan Wang6
Department of Gastroenterology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
Department of Radiation Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
Department of Colorectal Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
Department of Clinical Laboratory, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
Center for Clinical Laboratory, General Hospital of the Yangtze River Shipping Wuhan Brain Hospital, Wuhan 430010, China
Henan Institute of Advanced Technology, College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China

§ Haining Zhou and Hui Peng contributed equally to this work.

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The Cu-based single atom site catalysts (SAs) nanozyme with Cu-N3O active center anchored on hollow-structured carbon nanosphere displays an outstanding Fenton activity and a remarkable near infrared spectroscopy (NIR)-photothermal activity. The in vitro and in vivo experiments both demonstrate that Cu-N,O/C nanozyme possesses the ability for killing cancer cell and suppressing tumor growth.

Abstract

Reasonable design and construction of artificial enzymes with excellent catalytic activity, good stability and superior biocompatibility is essential for tumor therapy. Single-atom site catalysts (SAs) with well-defined atomic structure and electronic coordination environments have been regarded as a new type of nanozyme that can exhibit excellent catalytic activity like natural enzymes. Here, we constructed a copper-based single-atom site nanozyme (named Cu-N,O/C) that stabilized in hollow carbon nanosphere, and the electronic structure of the single copper active center was precisely controlled by regulating the coordination of nitrogen and oxygen. The well-designed Cu-N3O active center enables the Cu-N,O/C nanozyme to exhibit multiple extraordinary enzyme-mimicking activities by synchronously catalyzing the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can effectively inhibit the growth of tumor cell in vitro and in vivo, and the therapeutic effect pronounced enhanced in the weak acidic tumor environment. In addition, the remarkable near infrared spectroscopy (NIR)-photothermal conversion activity of Cu-N,O/C nanozyme significantly enhances the efficiency of cancer cell killing. Therefore, single-atom site nanozyme possesses significant therapeutic efficacy for tumor therapy through multiple ROS and photothermal activity.

Keywords

single copper atom catalystsnanozymereactive oxygen speciesphotothermal therapytumor

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Nano Research
Volume 18 Issue 4,
April 2025
Article number: 94907292
DOI: 10.26599/NR.2025.94907292
Cite this article:
Zhou H, Peng H, Lian Y, et al. Biocompatible copper single-atom site nanozyme for parallel tumor therapy. Nano Research, 2025, 18(4): 94907292. https://doi.org/10.26599/NR.2025.94907292
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