Cerium molybdate-doped polyaniline nanoplatform for GSH-depletion-enhanced chemodynamic/NIR-II photothermal synergistic therapy via ferroptosis and immune activation

Abstract

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) holds great promise for tumor treatment by catalyzing endogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, its efficacy is severely compromised by glutathione (GSH)-mediated ROS scavenging and intrinsically slow reaction kinetics. To address these limitations, we developed cerium molybdate-doped polyaniline nanoparticles (MoCe@PANI NPs) to enable a synergistic combination of photothermal therapy (PTT) and CDT, thereby triggering immunogenic cell death (ICD) and enhancing antitumor immunity. Mechanistically, MoCe@PANI NPs deplete intracellular GSH and generate abundant ROS via Ce4+/Mo5+/Mo6+-mediated redox cycles, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and amplified ferroptosis. Crucially, near-infrared II (NIR-II) laser irradiation induces localized hyperthermia, which simultaneously executes PTT and accelerates the Fenton-like reaction kinetics, further intensifying ferroptotic cell death. This combinatorial strategy effectively activates tumor-associated immune responses, achieving effective ablation of primary tumors and eliciting a systemic abscopal effect that suppresses untreated distant metastases. Collectively, this study presents a robust nanoplatform integrating chemodynamic and photothermal therapies for potent cancer immunotherapy.