Nanoenzyme-mediated catalytic activity is emerging as a novel strategy for
reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging in
acute lung injury (ALI) treatment. However, one of the main hurdles for these
metal-containing nanoenzymes is their potential toxicity and single therapeutic mechanism. Herein, we uncovered a
melanin-like nanoparticles derived from the self-polymerization of
1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (PDH nanoparticles), showing a significant anti-
inflammation therapeutic effect on ALI mice. The prepared PDH nanoparticles rich in
phenol groups could not only act as radical scavengers to alleviate oxidative stress but could also chelate
calcium overload to suppress the endoplasmic reticulum stress response. As revealed by the
therapeutic effect in vivo, PDH nanoparticles significantly prohibited neutrophil infiltration and the secretion of proinflammatory
cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6), thus improving the inflammatory cascade in the ALI model. Above all, our work provides an effective anti-inflammatory nanoplatform by using the inherent capability of
melanin-like nanoenzymes, proposing the potential application prospects of these
melanin-like nanoparticles for acute
inflammation-induced injury treatment.