The anticancer effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) is usually impeded by the hypoxia microenvironment in solid tumors; thus, it requires integration with other treatment tactics to achieve an optimal anticancer efficacy. Porphyrin-containing nanotherapeutic agents are broadly used for PDT in tumor treatment. However, chemodynamic therapy (CDT) of porphyrin-based namomaterials has been rarely reported. Here, a novel nanoscale porphyrin-containing covalent organic polymer (PCOP) was designed by the cross-linking of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-aminophenyl)porphyrin with 1,1'-ferrocenedicarboxylic acid at room temperature. After glucose oxidase (GOx) was loaded, the obtained nanotherapeutic agent of PCOPs@GOx presented an augmented synergy of PDT, CDT, and energy starvation to suppress tumor growth upon near-infrared light irradiation. In vitro and in vivo outcomes demonstrated that this multifunctional nanoplatform not only realized excellent tumor inhibition but also provided a new tactic for designing chemodynamic/photodynamic/starvation combined therapy in one material.
Keywords: Fenton reaction; chemodynamic therapy; covalent organic polymers; photodynamic therapy; reactive oxygen species.