Hemoglobin nanocatalyst with tunable autoxidation activity for tumor apoptosis-ferroptosis combination therapy

The clinical translation of catalytic therapy has been hindered in recent decades due to immunological risks, delayed degradation, and poorly understood metabolism associated with catalysts, despite promising results in antitumor therapy. Developing catalysts with nonmetallic active centers may provide an alternative to those with metallic active centers. In this study, a natural protein nanocatalyst, Hb@PtPP, is developed through the moderate polymerization of pyrrole and hemoglobin for tumor catalytic therapy. In comparison with BSA@PtPP prepared from bovine serum albumin, Hb@PtPP exhibits distinctive autoxidation activity in tumor cells in response to elevated hydrogen peroxide levels while maintaining relatively low activity in normal cells. This feature enables Hb@PtPP to effectively combat tumors by initiating a cascade of catalytic reactions, including the production of reactive oxygen species, the release of heme and iron ions, and the accumulation of lipid peroxidation, all of which contribute to apoptosis and ferroptosis in tumor cells. RNA-sequencing results further demonstrate that tumor cells undergo ferroptosis. Additionally, these catalytic processes are augmented by the photothermal effect, resulting in efficient tumor killing and growth inhibition both in vitro and in vivo. This study underscores the crucial role of hemoglobin in advancing catalytic therapy for tumors.