Heteronuclear Single‐Atom Nanozymes Overcome Radiotherapy Resistance via Synergistic Multi‐Enzyme Activities

Abstract Single‐atom nanozymes have revolutionized catalytic tumor therapy by maximizing atomic efficiency and enabling enzyme‐mimetic reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Yet, their single active‐site architecture imposes fundamental limitations on catalytic selectivity and intermediate adsorption–desorption kinetics. Here, a manganese/ruthenium dual‐metal single‐atom nanozyme (Mn/Ru BMSA) is reported that overcomes these constraints through synergistic metal interactions, exhibiting unprecedented multienzyme activities, including catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase. By leveraging tumor‐overexpressed hydrogen peroxide, Mn/Ru BMSA simultaneously alleviates hypoxia and produces cytotoxic hydroxyl radicals, creating a self‐sustaining catalytic cycle that amplifies ROS for radiotherapy synergy. Density functional theory calculations reveal that Mn coordination modulates the d‐band center of Ru, optimizing electronic structure to enhance substrate activation. In radioresistant breast cancer models, Mn/Ru BMSA exhibits a synergistic triple‐modal antitumor action: 1) sustained oxygen generation alleviates tumor hypoxia, 2) X‐ray‐enhanced ROS production amplifies oxidative stress, and 3) hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α pathway inhibition suppresses cancer stem cell (CSC) stemness (as validated by transcriptomics). Patient‐derived organoid assays demonstrated complete radioresistance reversal while maintaining exceptional biosafety. This work establishes Mn/Ru BMSA as a potential radiosensitizer that overcomes the limitations of conventional high‐Z materials by targeting the hypoxia‐CSC axis, providing a strategy for developing multi‐functional nanozymes against treatment‐resistant cancers.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2025-12-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202527017
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.67
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Heteronuclear Single‐Atom Nanozymes Overcome Radiotherapy Resistance via Synergistic Multi‐Enzyme Activities

Pingyu Zhang, Yue Pan, Guotao Yuan, Bowen Yang et al.
1 citations
Advanced Functional Materials
Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
0.67
article

Heteronuclear Single‐Atom Nanozymes Overcome Radiotherapy Resistance via Synergistic Multi‐Enzyme Activities

Pingyu Zhang, Yue Pan, Guotao Yuan, Bowen Yang, Ge Qiao, Tingting Wang, Hanqing Chen, Ruonan Li, Hongyan Su, Jiannan Wu, Yiyin Mai
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Abstract Single‐atom nanozymes have revolutionized catalytic tumor therapy by maximizing atomic efficiency and enabling enzyme‐mimetic reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Yet, their single active‐site architecture imposes fundamental limitations on catalytic selectivity and intermediate adsorption–desorption kinetics. Here, a manganese/ruthenium dual‐metal single‐atom nanozyme (Mn/Ru BMSA) is reported that overcomes these constraints through synergistic metal interactions, exhibiting unprecedented multienzyme activities, including catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase. By leveraging tumor‐overexpressed hydrogen peroxide, Mn/Ru BMSA simultaneously alleviates hypoxia and produces cytotoxic hydroxyl radicals, creating a self‐sustaining catalytic cycle that amplifies ROS for radiotherapy synergy. Density functional theory calculations reveal that Mn coordination modulates the d‐band center of Ru, optimizing electronic structure to enhance substrate activation. In radioresistant breast cancer models, Mn/Ru BMSA exhibits a synergistic triple‐modal antitumor action: 1) sustained oxygen generation alleviates tumor hypoxia, 2) X‐ray‐enhanced ROS production amplifies oxidative stress, and 3) hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α pathway inhibition suppresses cancer stem cell (CSC) stemness (as validated by transcriptomics). Patient‐derived organoid assays demonstrated complete radioresistance reversal while maintaining exceptional biosafety. This work establishes Mn/Ru BMSA as a potential radiosensitizer that overcomes the limitations of conventional high‐Z materials by targeting the hypoxia‐CSC axis, providing a strategy for developing multi‐functional nanozymes against treatment‐resistant cancers.

Advanced Functional Materials
Sun Yat-sen University (CN), Shenzhen University (CN), Capital Medical University (CN), Soochow University (CN), Longgang Central Hospital (CN), Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 24%
Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
0.67
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.