Cerium-tannic acid-formaldehyde coordination polymer colloidal nanomaterials for inflammatory bowel disease therapy

Abstract Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a digestive system disorder characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation, has become a global disease that poses a significant health and economic burden. The etiology of IBD is complex and remains incompletely understood, and there is a lack of effective treatment. Current therapies, including corticosteroids and biologics, often face limitations such as systemic side effects and loss of responsiveness. Recent advances in nanomedicine suggest that metal-polyphenol coordination polymers can enhance therapeutic efficacy by stabilizing bioactive compounds and enabling targeted delivery. Herein, we synthesized cerium-tannic acid-formaldehyde coordination polymer colloidal nanoparticles (Ce-TA) successfully. However, it remains unclear whether Ce-TA exerts protective effects against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced IBD. Therefore, we conducted this study to investigate exploring the therapeutic potential and possible mechanisms of Ce-TA on DSS-induced IBD. In vitro, Ce-TA inhibited H 2 O 2 -induced apoptosis and demonstrated powerful reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging ability in HK-2, BRL-3A and BEAS-2B cells. In vivo, compared with the DSS group, both tannic acid (TA) and Ce-TA exhibited therapeutic effects on DSS-induced IBD mice. Most importantly, Ce-TA more effectively attenuated DSS-induced colitis and markedly ameliorated pathological lesions in the colonic tissues of IBD mice. It exhibited a more potent capacity to protect the intestinal mucosal barrier and ameliorate its inflammation damage. Comprehensive biosafety evaluations confirmed negligible systemic toxicity. In conclusion, Ce-TA that we synthesized in this study was a novel type of nanoparticles with ultra-small size and excellent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and Ce-TA alleviated DSS-induced colitis through its synergistic anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms, making it a promising nanotherapeutic candidate for IBD.