Light-Activated Hydrogen Therapy Shows Promise Against Cancer Tumors
- Authors
- Chunzheng Yang, Jiashi Zhang, Mengyu Chang, Jia Tan, Meng Yuan, Yulong Bian, Bin Liu, Zhendong Liu, Meifang Wang, binbin Ding, Ma Ping'an, Jun Lin
- Journal
- Advanced Materials
- Year
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.1002/adma.202308774
- Study Type
- Molecular Assay
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Cancer
- Body System
- Immune System
TL;DR
Scientists have developed a new type of treatment that combines light-based therapy with a drug to both kill cancer cells and boost the body's immune response by targeting the cancer cells' energy source.
Key Finding
A nanoparticle system that produces hydrogen gas under near-infrared light while blocking lactic acid accumulation showed enhanced ability to suppress tumor growth and metastasis in laboratory and animal models.
Summary
Researchers designed a nanoparticle (tiny engineered particle) that activates when exposed to near-infrared light and produces hydrogen gas while also blocking lactic acid—a substance that helps tumors hide from the immune system. In laboratory tests, this combination approach reduced tumor growth by simultaneously boosting immune attack, generating reactive molecules that damage cancer cells, and disrupting cancer cell energy production. The study was conducted in cells and animal models, not humans.
Practical Takeaway
This is early-stage laboratory research in animals that explores how hydrogen gas production combined with lactate metabolism changes might enhance cancer treatment. It does not yet demonstrate safety or effectiveness in humans, and the hydrogen is produced by the nanoparticle itself rather than delivered as hydrogen water. Much further research would be needed before any clinical application.
Abstract
Near-infrared (NIR) laser-induced photoimmunotherapy has aroused great interest due to its intrinsic non-invasiveness and spatiotemporal precision, while immune evasion evoked by lactic acid (LA) accumulation severely limits its clinical outcomes. Although several metabolic interventions have been devoted to ameliorate immunosuppression, intracellular residual LA still remains a potential energy source for oncocyte proliferation. Herein, we construct an immunomodulatory nanoadjuvant based on a yolk-shell CoP/NiCoP (CNCP) heterostructure loaded with the monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4) inhibitor fluvastatin sodium (Flu) to concurrently relieve immunosuppression and elicit robust antitumor immunity. Under NIR irradiation, CNCP heterojunctions exhibit superior photothermal performance and photocatalytic production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hydrogen. The continuous heat then facilitates Flu release to restrain LA exudation from tumor cells, whereas cumulative LA can be depleted as a hole scavenger to improve photocatalytic efficiency. Subsequently, potentiated photocatalytic therapy (PCT) can not only initiate systematic immunoreaction, but also provoke severe mitochondrial dysfunction and disrupt the energy supply for heat shock protein (HSP) synthesis, in turn realizing mild photothermal therapy (PTT). Consequently, LA metabolic remodeling endows an intensive cascade treatment with an optimal safety profile to effectually suppress tumor proliferation and metastasis, which offers a new paradigm for the development of metabolism-regulated immunotherapy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.