FeS@BSA Nanoclusters to Enable HS-Amplified ROS-Based Therapy with MRI Guidance.

Therapeutic systems to induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) have received tremendous success in the research of tumor theranostics, but suffered daunting challenges in limited efficacy originating from low presence of reactants and reaction kinetics within cancer cells. Here, ferrous sulfide-embedded bovine serum albumin (FeS@BSA) nanoclusters, in an amorphous nature, are designed and synthesized via a self-assembly approach. In acidic conditions, the nanoclusters degrade and simultaneously release HS gas and Fe ions. The in vitro study using Huh7 cancer cells reveals that Fe released from FeS@BSA nanoclusters induces the toxic hydroxyl radical (·OH) effectively via the Fenton reaction. More interestingly, HS gas released intracellularly presents the specific suppression effect to catalase activity of cancer cells, resulting in the promoted presence of HO that facilitates the Fenton reaction of Fe and consequently promotes ROS induction within the cells remarkably. After intravenous administration, the nanoclusters accumulate in the tumors of mice via the enhanced permeability and retention effect and present strong magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signals. The findings confirm this therapeutic system can enable superior anti-tumor performance with MRI guidance and negligible side effects. This study, therefore, offers an alternative gas-amplified ROS-based therapeutic platform for synergetic tumor treatment.