Plasma-activated nano-Fe 3 O 4 hydrosol for cancer therapy

Abstract

Abstract Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) therapy has emerged as a promising cancer therapy. However, the rapid decay of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) poses a significant challenge to its clinical application. To address this issue, a plasma-activated hyaluronic acid nano-Fe 3 O 4 (PAHA@Fe 3 O 4 ) hydrosol is developed with prolonged generation of short-lived RONS and enhanced ferroptosis-inducing capabilities. This advancement is achieved through the integration of plasma-activated hydrosol (PAH) with the Fenton reaction. The acidic environment generated by CAP promotes the rapid progression of the Fe 3 O 4 -induced Fenton reaction. Consequently, long-lived RONS in the PAHA@Fe 3 O 4 hydrosol are continuously converted into more reactive short-lived RONS, including ·OH, O 2 − , and ONOO − /ONOOH. Cellular experiments confirmed that PAHA@Fe 3 O 4 hydrosol exhibit a significantly stronger ability to induce ferroptosis, oxidative stress, and cytotoxicity compared with PAH alone, while exhibiting low toxicity to normal cells. Our study highlights the potential of combining PAH with the Fenton reaction to improve the therapeutic efficiency of cancer treatment.