Photothermal and enhanced chemodynamic reinforced anti-tumor therapy based on PDA@POM nanocomposites

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) have both demonstrated considerable efficacy in the tumor treatment individually, owing to their non-invasive nature and excellent selectivity. However, due to the propensity of tumors for metastasis and recurrence, a singular therapeutic approach falls short of achieving optimal treatment outcomes. Polydopamine (PDA) has excellent photothermal conversion ability and polyoxometalates (POMs) possess diverse enzymatic activities. Here, we synthesized PDA@POM nanospheres comprising polydopamine-coated Tungsten-based polyoxometalate (W-POM). These nanospheres leverage dual enzymatic activities that synergistically enhance both chemodynamic and photothermal therapies for tumor treatment. The PDA-mediated PTT effect enables precise tumor cell destruction, while the W-POM nanozymes catalyzes the generation of highly toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) from hydrogen peroxide within tumor cells through a Fenton-like reaction, which mitigates tumor hypoxia and induces tumor cell death. This synergistic photothermal catalytic therapy shows enhanced efficacy in tumor suppression, providing a promising new approach for tumor treatment.