Work

Multifunctional cerium-based nanozymes as moonlighting protein mimics for atherosclerosis diagnosis and therapy

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: and a phosphorylated amino acid derivative, achieving high biostability through a simple heat treatment. The nanozyme possesses both superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, enabling scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and modulation of inflammation by inhibiting NF-κB pathway activation. Besides its enzymatic activities, CF can also serve as a versatile nanocarrier for various cargoes through one-pot co-assembly. Herein, the CF-based nanoassembly loaded with a near infrared fluorescent dye was demonstrated to work well for the diagnosis of atherosclerotic plaques. The nanoassembly co-assembled with probucol exhibited superior ROS-scavenging and anti-inflammatory effects compared to either CF nanozyme or probucol, attributed to the synergy of the nanozyme and the drug, thus facilitating a highly efficient treatment of atherosclerosis. This work introduces a novel Ce-based nanozyme with multifunctional properties, providing a promising approach to endow nanozymes with moonlighting protein-like characteristics, thereby enhancing their functional capabilities and broadening their application potential in various fields.

Source: Chemical Science

DOI: 10.1039/d5sc01014d