Gas
therapy has emerged as a new therapeutic strategy in combating
cancer owing to its high therapeutic efficacy and biosafety. However, the clinical translation of gas
therapy remains challenging due to the rapid diffusion and limited tissue penetration of therapeutic
gases. Herein, a self-propelled, asymmetrical Au@MnO2 nanomotor for efficient delivery of therapeutic gas to deep-seated
cancer tissue for enhanced efficacy of gas
therapy, is reported. The Au@MnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) catalyze endogenous H2 O2 into O2 that propels NPs into deep solid
tumors, where SO2
prodrug is released from the hollow NPs owing to the degradation of MnO2 shells.
Fluorescein isothiocyanate (
FITC) is conjugated onto the surface of Au via
caspase-3 responsive
peptide (DEVD) and the therapeutic process of gas
therapy can be optically self-reported by the fluorescence of
FITC that is turned on in the presence of overexpressed
caspase-3 as an apoptosis
indicator. Au@MnO2 nanomotors show self-reported therapeutic efficacy and high biocompatibility both in vitro and in vivo, offering important new insights to the design and development of novel nanomotors for efficient payload delivery into deep
tumor tissue and in situ monitoring of the therapeutic process.