Nitrogen‐Boosted H <sub>2</sub> O <sub>2</sub> Production of Arginine‐Polyphenol Nanozyme Drives Oxidative Eustress for Hair Regeneration
Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-triggered oxidative eustress can stimulate regenerative signaling, yet its therapeutic window remains narrow. Mitochondrial respiratory complexes and superoxide dismutase (SOD) are canonical enzymatic sources of intracellular H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>. Here we report a biomimetic polyphenol-amino acid nanozyme (PEAs) that couples the semiquinone radical of coenzyme Q (ubiquinone) with the Arg143 residue of Zn/Cu-SOD1. Through self-assembling epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and L-arginine (L-Arg), PEAs enable O<sub>2</sub> adsorption and activation with controlled H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> generation. The H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> output is finely tuned by modulating the nitrogen (N) content from L-Arg. Integrated experimental and computational analyses reveal that the N-sites introduced by L-Arg promote semiquinone electron delocalization, increase semiquinone abundance, thereby strengthening O<sub>2</sub> adsorption, facilitating electron/proton transfer, and lowering the reaction barrier for H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> synthesis. Using the genetically encoded H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> sensor HyPerion, this work validates the sustained intracellular modulation of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> by PEAs. In a mouse model of telogen effluvium, controlled H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> delivery activates the follicular niche via Wnt/β-catenin upregulation and Ca<sup>2+</sup>/calcineurin/NFAT downregulation, resulting in robust follicle activation and a non-pharmacological approach to alopecia therapy. This polyphenol-amino acid nanozyme therefore provides a safe and effective strategy for in vivo pro-oxidative modulation, offering a tunable H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>-based platform to harness beneficial oxidative stress for tissue renewal.
Authors
- Yuzheng Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5400-0135)
- Xue Qu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6792-7757)
- Aoxue Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2223-3561)
- Sovanna Tan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7647-9914)
- Yi‐Hsin Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9581-2778)
- Chen Shen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8284-9048)
- Changsheng Liu
- Yifei Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1508-7458)
Institutions
- East China University of Science and Technology (CN)
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Science
- Published
- 2025-11-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202519561
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Hair Growth and Disorders
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.84
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
- Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
- Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province